HINATA GIRLS: Road to Stardom!
by TheArchimage
Summary: AU. Naru Naruseagawa is an idol with dreams of being a true singer who is recognized for her talent alone. She runs away from her job to hide out at Hinata Inn, where she hopes to piece together a band capable of making her dreams come true...
1. First Show: An Idol's Dream

Author's Note: This is an AU Love Hina story. Bear in mind that there have been alterations to the  
canon timeline of Love Hina. Because who a person is shaped by their past experiences, this means  
that many characters have a slightly different personality or goals than they did in the original  
series. Fair warning that though some characters may seem to be OOC, it's not without good reason.  
  
This story was inspired by the opening of the Dreamcast Love Hina game, "Smile Again". I hope you  
find this alternate universe interesting at the very least!  
  
Special thanks to Meggo for moral support! You're the best!  
  
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are property of Ken Akamatsu, and are used without  
permission. Please do not sue me, I have no money.

* * *

**HINATA GIRLS**  
_Road to Stardom!_  
by TheArchimage

* * *

Kentaro Sakata was having a bad day. The new butler he had hired was incompetent, not only letting  
him oversleep but also not having the paper and his coffee ready when he came down. His toast had  
been burnt, and his maid had cooked his eggs sunny side up when she KNEW he always had them over-  
easy on Thursdays. His father had called him on his way to work to argue with him about the latest  
CD sales. It took him almost an hour to get to the studio from the hotel, since the roads of  
Hinata Hot Springs Town were ridden with pedestrians that his chauffeur refused to run over.  
Sakata Records was in a financial crisis, and in very real danger of losing its number one spot in  
the industry to multiple competitors.  
  
But all of that was nothing compared to this annoyance.  
  
"We don't know where she is," the assistant huffed to him. "We've looked everywhere, but she's  
vanished without a trace. She said she was going outside for a smoke..."  
  
Kentaro felt a vein pop out on his forehead. He held the bridge of his small nose in his hand as  
he seethed, "Since when has she ever smoked, you nitwit?"  
  
The assistant thought on that for a moment and backed away sheepishly. Idiots. He was surrounded  
by idiots. Kentaro turned away from him, making a mental note to fire whoever authorized her  
leaving. He shouted, "Listen up, people! Search every record store, amusement park, coffee shop,  
and movie theater in the city! There's only a week left until the concert, and our top star has to  
make three visits and have two press conferences before then, not to mention be in her usual  
commercial spots and record her new single! Find Naru Narusegawa NOW!"

* * *

**-First Show-**  
An Idol's Dream

* * *

Hinata Tea House was a quiet establishment, but that's how the proprietor liked it. She was  
quietly wealthy enough to live comfortably for the rest of her life, but there was something  
incredibly boring about waiting around for thirty or forty years doing nothing. Her family owned  
most of the land around the old inn nearby, so she just decided to set up shop there and build the  
coffee house from scratch. Haruka Urashima may not have been a good conversationalist, but she  
could make a mean cup of brew. Because of this, the shop attracted coffee connoisseurs who didn't  
mind going out of their way for their caffeine buzz as well as people who wanted to be left alone.  
  
The first customer of the afternoon looked like she fit into the latter category. She wore a  
large green cloak with a hood, which she had draped over her head. Though you could only see  
them if you tried to look up at her face, she was wearing sunglasses to conceal her eyes. Her  
blouse and skirt were both very plain and non-descript... it was an attempt to look like an  
ordinary person, an illusion betrayed by the designer logos on her gear. This person was the  
daughter of an old friend of the Urashima family, and Haruka had talked to her a few times on  
occasion. But not since...  
  
The new arrival sat at a table near the corner, away from the window. Haruka teased, "Now why  
would the famous idol Naru Narusegawa want to waste her time in a run down old coffee shop?" The  
hooded figure raised it's head and glanced around the restaurant quickly. The woman chuckled,  
"Relax. There's nobody else here, as usual. You're safe."  
  
The figure removed its coat and sunglasses, revealing a young girl of 17 years. Her caramel brown  
hair was tucked into the back of her coat and the bottom of it peeked out around her waist, two  
strands of hair protruding off the top of her head like antenna. Her face was finely shaped, and  
her large brown eyes were so captivating you could easily lose yourself in them. Even without  
makeup she was a stunning sight, sure to turn heads if she hadn't taken such pains to hide herself.  
  
Haruka greeted, "Sure has been a while. I heard you were coming back home for a concert... how  
long's it been since you've been gone? You see your folks yet?"  
  
Naru shrugged her shoulders tiredly. "I don't know... by the calendar only about two months, but  
it feels like its been years. I haven't stopped by home yet... too many other things to figure  
out before I deal with that."  
  
"I don't see any camera crews following you... on the run?" Haruka asked with a smirk.  
  
Naru threw up her hands as she began, "I have a month's worth of work in a week's time! I haven't  
had a decent meal in days! I'm constantly being whisked off to one place or another with almost no  
time to rehearse, no time to sightsee, and no time to just RELAX!" Naru concluded her rant by  
laying her head on the table. "Being famous sucks. I should have listened to mom..."  
  
"Are you starting to regret your decision?"  
  
"I thought it would be nice to get recognition," Naru sighed, lifting her head. "But being an  
idol is the pits! At the same time people are giving you attention, they're laughing at you behind  
your back. I don't like being called a 'no-talent bimbo' or 'a pretty face with an empty head'..."  
  
Haruka nodded. "They don't even know if you have talent, I bet."  
  
"THAT'S the most annoying part! Even I don't know whether I'm any good or not, because the songs  
those corporate goons give me take no talent to sing! I have no control over my life or my music!  
They decide what I sing, where I appear, what I can do for hobbies... I can't even have a  
boyfriend! Not like I really want one but it's the principle of the thing, damn it!" Naru  
punctuated this last remark by slamming her fist on the table, causing the napkin holder on the  
table to rattle.  
  
Haruka had been listening intently. She tapped the ash off the end of her cigarette as she asked,  
"So... you'd rather not be an idol?"  
  
Naru grumbled in frustration. "I don't know... I mean, I like singing and getting up in front of  
a crowd, but does it have to be like this? Why can't I write my own songs... have my own band...  
be a REAL musician, instead of some face on a pop magazine that no one will remember or care about  
in three months? I have a lot of trouble believing that people appreciate what I do when _I_ can't  
appreciate what I do..."  
  
Naru straightened up on her stool, sighing heavily. She thought to herself a moment as she looked  
up at the television. There her manager and the son of the CEO of Sakata Records, Kentaro Sakata,  
was giving feeble excuses as to why Naru had not appeared for her commercial spot for Sukkon brand  
canned tea. Kentaro presented himself as a kind, caring, competent businessman. Only one of the  
above was actually true. He was more concerned about boosting his career than keeping his big  
star from suffering from an ever-more-imminent physical and emotional breakdown.  
  
"Hey, Haruka-san," Naru said wistfully. "If I had the chance to start over... I wouldn't have  
signed that deal. I would have kept going to a normal high school like other kids, and tried to  
find others with a passion for music. Start up a band... play at clubs and small parties... work  
our way up the right way. No skipping steps, only surviving off of ourselves and our music..."  
Naru sighed again as her head fell to the table to rest on top of her arms.  
  
"That's what I really wanted, when I was looking for a way to break into singing. I know that now."  
  
Haruka thought to herself for a moment, then spoke very slowly, "... If you're absolutely sure...  
it might not be too late."  
  
Naru looked up at her. "Huh?"  
  
"There is one way... one person who can help. There's someone I know that tried to get me into  
the singing business... I was too self-conscious to do much of anything, though. But maybe she  
can get you started on the right track. Yeah..."  
She paused to blow a puff of smoke into the air, then finished, "You ought to go see Grandma  
Hina."  
  
"Grandma... Hina?"  
  
Haruka nodded. "She runs the inn just behind this coffee shop, but it's the off-season for her  
right now. I bet if you asked, she could give you a hand."  
  
Naru swallowed hard, looking out the window. The inn rested at the top of the long staircase  
behind the tea house. It was a large Japanese style building, more like a mansion than an inn.  
She had of course seen it many times; she had spent most of her youth in Hinata Hot Springs Town,  
and the inn could be seen from practically anywhere in town. But she had never ventured up there,  
or even paid it much mind.  
  
Naru asked, "What kind of person is Grandma Hina?"  
  
Haruka scratched the back of her head, wondering what she could get away with saying. "She really  
cares for her family, but she's getting on in the years... sometimes she says really weird things  
that don't make any sense. She's always embarking on one silly project after another... last year  
she tried to make a movie. The year before that, she went on a trip to every hot natural hot  
spring across Japan. The year before that, she tried to turn that flaky old inn into a girl's  
dormitory."  
  
Naru jaw dropped, though even she didn't know whether it was from awe or shock. "Wow... she's  
really busy..."  
  
Haruka sighed. "You're telling me. Half the reason I'm here is to make sure she doesn't do  
anything really crazy."  
  
Naru narrowed her eyes. "Hey... Are you just telling me to go talk to her so I'll keep her busy  
and out of your hair?"  
  
Haruka shrugged, a tiny smile on her face. "She can help you. If I get something out of it too,  
so much the better. Don't worry about the small things... just trust me on this one, okay?"  
  
Naru looked up at the mansion on the hill. She then laughed once to herself. "... I guess it's  
worth a shot. What's the worst that could happen?"

* * *

"Who the heck puts a mansion on top of a mountain?" Naru grumbled as she trudged up the steps  
leading to Hinata Inn. "I spent the last two days in dance lessons, my feet are already killing  
me! Okay, first chance I get I'm going to suggest to this 'Grandma Hina' that she might get more  
business if she installed an escalator. Geez, does this thing ever END?!"  
  
She knew she was being whiny about the whole thing, but she didn't particularly care. She knew no  
one was listening, so there was no harm in complaining. Besides, she got so few chances to blow  
off steam because she had to maintain her public image... it felt good to scream for no good reason  
every once in a while.  
  
Finally she reached the top. She took a moment to straighten herself out, looking up at the inn.  
"Okay, Naru, play it cool. Just introduce yourself and everything will work out fine. There's no  
reason to be nervous, so _stop talking to yourself_!" She shook her head, taking a deep breath as  
she smiled cordially. Time to put that polished image to work.  
  
She walked up to the front door and knocked. After a brief moment the door opened slowly. The  
problem was, there was no one standing on the other side of the door. Naru peered inside  
quizzically, her face scrunching up in confusion.  
  
"Down here," came a disembodied voice, startling Naru enough for her to shriek. She looked down  
to see a tiny old woman, maybe only two feet tall, looking up at her.  
  
Naru blinked, but quickly recovered her smile. "Oh, hi! I'm very sorry, I didn't see you."  
  
"Are you here to rent a room?" the woman asked pleasantly.  
  
"Um, no, I'm not. My name is Naru Narusegawa, and-"  
  
Naru was interrupted suddenly as the door swung shut with a slam inches from her face.  
  
The idol stared at the door for a second, mouth still open. Naru sucked in air, telling herself,  
"Oooooookay... don't get upset. Stay calm, just try again. Don't let this get to you..."  
  
Naru knocked on the door once more. After a short pause the door opened again, revealing the  
short old woman. "You again?" she murmured.  
  
Naru smiled. "Yes, me again, I was wondering..."  
  
The door slammed in her face once more.  
  
Naru stared at the door for a second, took a deep breath... and snapped. She balled up her fists  
and beat against the door mercilessly with both hands. "Hey! Open up, you wrinkled old hag! I'm  
trying to ask for a favor here!"  
  
"You have a funny way of asking," came a voice from inside. "Whatever you're selling, I don't  
want any."  
  
"I'm not selling anything!" Naru shouted. "I'm here because that woman at the coffee shop told me  
you could help me make a band!"  
  
The door shot open so fast it startled her right out of her rage. The old woman stood in the  
doorway, looking Naru up and down. "What did you say your name was?"  
  
Naru blinked. "Um... it's Naru. Naru Narusegawa."  
  
"... Narusegawa, you say? The way I hear things, you're a pretty popular singer already. What do  
you need my help for?"  
  
"Because I don't want to be an idol anymore. I want to be a singer! A real one, with a real  
band, that sings real music!"  
  
The old woman raised an eyebrow. "A real singer, eh? Alright, come in. But call me Grandma Hina  
from now on; if I hear the words 'wrinkled old hag' again I'll toss you down the stairs faster than  
you can say 'Two-Mix'. Got it?"  
  
"Yes," Naru said sheepishly. "I'm very sorry about that... sometimes I get a little quick-  
tempered..."  
  
"Let's just get down to business," Grandma Hina said, motioning for her to come in. "Tea?"  
  
Naru started to walk inside, saying, "Well, I just came from the teahouse, so..."  
  
Hina gave her a wry grin. "A tip, little girl. Whenever an eccentric, crotchety old woman offers  
you anything you never, ever refuse. Let's try it again. Candy?"  
  
Naru laughed nervously. Just what had she gotten herself into?

* * *

"How's your tea?"  
  
Naru sat at the small table, wringing her hands anxiously. So far this woman seemed completely  
unpredictable, switching moods from one minute to the next; she was wondering how much longer it  
would be until she got her head bitten off. "Um, it's very good, best I've ever tasted," Naru  
lied. It was decent, but Hina's brewing couldn't hold a candle to the cigarette smoking matron at  
the Tea House just down the stairs. "Anyway, I would really like to discuss making me a real  
singer..."  
  
Hina raised an eyebrow. "No small talk? That's the problem with kids these days, always in a  
rush." She sipped her tea calmly, delaying until just before Naru's synapses burst. She then  
said, "The first thing you need to do is break things off with your company. Judging by the sales  
of your last single, they're not going to let you go easily."  
  
Naru smirked, shrugging her shoulders. "It doesn't matter whether they want to let me go or not.  
I'll make the phone call, say 'I'm gone,' and they're just going to have to deal with it."  
  
Hina shrugged, sighing deeply. "Will it be that easy...? Well, I'm not going to stop you from  
doing anything. Just be sure you know the consequences."  
  
Naru gave her a sideways glance. "Consequences?"  
  
Hina explained, "You'll have to give up all the special privileges of being an idol and start from  
the bottom again; you will have to work for every show and every ounce of respect you get." She  
sipped her tea with her eyes closed. She then opened them to stare at Naru. "Are you prepared  
to stake everything on your will and talent alone?"  
  
Naru nodded. "Yes. I might get privileges as an idol, but they're all false. People show up to  
my shows because I'm popular, not because they want to hear me sing. They cheer because I'm pretty,  
not because they enjoyed my performance. That hurts more than if they didn't cheer at all. I want  
to be a real musician. I want to be known for my own talents. I'm scared to think I might not be  
good enough or strong enough... but if I don't try, I'll regret it forever!"  
  
Hina smiled as she set her tea down. "Very well. You and I... together, we are going to put  
together the greatest band in the history of the world." She held her hand out towards Naru as  
she concluded, "... Are you prepared?"  
  
Naru clenched her fists, feeling adrenaline rush into her. She smiled with determination as she  
nodded once more. "Yes!" Naru clasped Hina's hand in her own, and with a single solid shake  
finalized her decision.  
  
Hina released Naru's hand with a smile. "Well then, the first step would be to find band members.  
No singer stands alone, after all. You're going to have to find the best band members in the city,  
those talented musicians that have yet to make a name for themselves."  
  
Naru nodded, feeling more and more excited with every passing minute. "Okay... where should I  
start looking?"  
  
Hina closed her eyes. "I can't help you with that. But... I know someone who can." She stood up  
from the table, taking one last gulp of tea. "Follow me, Naru. We're taking a walk."

* * *

A few hours later Naru and Hina were in the downtown area of Hinata Hot Springs Town. It was mid-  
afternoon and a gorgeous day, so there were many people walking around outside. Naru was keeping  
most of her hair under a baseball cap, and wore sunglasses to hide her identity. She stayed a  
step or two behind Hina, even though the woman's slow pace forced her to slowly inch along.  
  
She finally asked, "Who are we going to see anyway?"  
  
Hina explained, "Someone I know from a ways back... someone only a year or two older than you, so  
don't worry about being saddled with an old crone. She has a few... emotional issues, but she's  
well-versed in local music lore. She knows every band, every nightclub and bar, and every  
performer that ever hits a note in the city. Not only that, but she's a very talented musician in  
her own right. If anyone knows where to find talent, it's her."  
  
Naru's eyes widened in awe. "Wow! How did you meet someone like that?"  
  
Hina smiled tightly. "It's a long story, dear. Almost as long as the story of why I know she'll  
be here." Hina turned suddenly, looking up at her destination. It was a fairly standard bar with  
saloon-style swinging doors, the paint on the wooden walls beginning to show its age. There were  
neon lights above the door, but it being the afternoon they weren't currently on. It was rare for  
a bar to be serving customers this early in the day, but nonetheless there was a small black sign  
on the window that assured that they were open for business.  
  
Naru gritted her teeth, becoming less sure of this by the second. "Um... Grandma Hina, I can't go  
in there, I'm underage! If I'm caught someplace like this, my reputation-!"  
  
"I thought you were going to give up your reputation? But, no one's forcing you to," Hina said  
unsympathetically as she walked through the doors, leaving Naru alone on the sidewalk.  
  
Naru glanced around nervously, lamenting, "Damn it, you know if you go in there I have to too...!"  
She pulled the cap's visor over her eyes before following Hina through the doors.  
  
The bar was almost stereotypical in design; a single room with the bar along the left side, two  
billiard tables in the far right corner, and small round tables interspersed everywhere else.  
There were only about five people in the whole place, seven if you included Naru and Hina in that  
total.  
  
One of those people was a girl with short silver hair. She sat alone at one of the small round  
tables, her head down and with her arms curled around her head like she was asleep. Hina walked  
up to this girl slowly, and as Naru followed she noticed an opened but still full bottle of cheap  
booze on the table in front of the girl.  
  
Hina tapped the girl on the top of the head with her walking stick. "Feeling sorry for yourself  
again?"  
  
The gray-haired girl rustled slightly, groaning. She then looked up, squinting incredulously.  
"Grandma Hina?" she said drowsily.  
  
Naru blinked, turning her head to the side. She'd seen this person before... a long time ago.  
It was just another face in the hall then, but...  
  
The name came back to her slowly: "Mitsune... Konno-sempai?"  
  
Hina looked at Naru. "You know her?"  
  
Naru shrugged. "Well, sort of. She was a senior when I first entered high school. I saw her  
around, but I didn't know her personally." She purposefully neglected to mention that there were  
a number of rumors floating around about her in those years. A lot of it was the standard high-  
school bantering, but Mitsune came off as the type of person you could actually see doing some of  
those things.  
  
Mitsune looked up, smiling sadly at Naru. "Bet you never thought you'd see a sempai end up like  
this, huh? Well, that's life I guess..." She grabbed the bottle around the neck and twisted the  
cap off dejectedly.  
  
"Nuh-uh," Hina said, tearing the bottle from the girl's grasp. "None for you."  
  
Mitsune gave her an annoyed look. "It won't be the first time I've fallen off the wagon. Just  
leave me alone."  
  
"It's too early in the day for a young girl to be drinking. Besides, you can't play smashed, can  
you?"  
  
"Play?" Kitsune asked, confused.  
  
"Yes, play one of your songs. Show us what you can do. Do a good job, and I'll show you how to  
get out of this rut you've found yourself in."  
  
Mitsune sighed. "Why bother? This place is dead... nobody will be listening."  
  
"We will," Hina said. "You should know not to keep an audience waiting."  
  
The silver-haired girl stretched as she got up out of her seat. "Fine fine. There's probably a  
point to this I don't get, so whatever. I need to get my stuff from the back... I'll be up on  
stage in five minutes." She walked to the back of the bar and shared a few words with the  
bartender. He looked over in their direction, then nodded as he turned back to Mitsune. Mitsune  
sighed, then went through the door in the back.  
  
"Pay attention to the stage, Naru," Hina warned. "You're going to have to decide whether she's  
worth having around." Naru took a deep breath, not quite sure what to expect.  
  
Mitsune pushed through the curtain and appeared on the stage, a saxophone slung on her shoulder  
and carrying an empty beer mug. She put the mug down on the front of the stage, then stepped  
back. She cleared her throat and looked out over the mostly inattentive crowd. "My name's Mitsune  
Konno," she started. "I haven't got any words for this song yet, but even still I think it'll get  
you all in a drinkin' mood. It's called, 'I Don't Have a Parasol'. And as always, tips're welcome."  
With this last bit she motioned toward the beer mug on the stage. She brought the saxophone up near  
her lips and closed her eyes. She tapped her foot a few times to set the beat, then put her lips  
around the reed and began.  
  
Music is a language all its own, using notes as words and emotions as sentences. Like any  
language, it has multiple levels. On the base level, a song can change your immediate mood... a  
happy song makes you happy, just like a sad song can make you sad. But at the deepest level it  
can transcend everything: the listener's emotions, the notes and words, even the instrument and  
the player themselves. A true musician is able to directly transmit their own emotions, their  
own feelings through the music they play and into the audience.  
  
It was with this thought that Naru fell to her knees, overcome by the raw power of Mitsune's  
blues. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her heart started to ache terribly. She started to wish  
she were over twenty, because she felt suddenly that she really wanted a drink. Hina stood straight,  
eyes closed, but if Naru could have seen through her own tears she would have noticed Hina brushing  
away a few stray drops from her face.  
  
As the wail of the saxophone died down a few of the patrons walked up to put bills in the mug.  
Some didn't bother to get out of their seats, tossing quarters at the mug from their tables.  
After a few seconds the clamor died down and Mitsune sighed as she picked up her mug, picking up  
some of the stray quarters that missed the mark. She turned and bid farewell to the audience with  
a wave over her shoulder, then disappeared behind the small stage's curtains.  
  
She appeared down by the floor within seconds, emptying the mug of change into her hand. "Barely  
even enough for a drink," she mumbled as she walked up to Grandma Hina and Naru, half-throwing the  
mug onto the table. "Like I thought, a waste of time."  
  
Hina smiled. "You could do a lot better than this dump, you know. You've gotten better since the  
last time I heard you."  
  
Mitsune shook her head. "It's not because I've been practicing more. I've just got more on my  
mind these days. The blues get better the more depressed you already are. Hey, you," she said,  
turning to Naru. "It'd be better if you stopped crying. Your makeup's gonna run."  
  
Naru shook her head as she recovered her legs, sniffling, "No need to worry. I'm... I'm not  
wearing any."  
  
Mitsune opened her eyes, looking at her intensely. "Seriously? Man, some girls have all the luck.  
So who is this anyway, Grannie?"  
  
"GRANDMA Hina," Hina corrected, tapping her lightly in the kneecap with her walking stick. "As  
cheeky as ever, I see. Anyway, this is..." She stopped to look around carefully, then pulled  
Mitsune down to her level. She then whispered something very softly in Mitsune's ear.  
  
"WHAT?!" Mitsune yelled loudly, leaping backwards. "THE Naru Narusegawa? Famous Naru? Giant  
billboards in Tokyo, all over TV, THAT Naru?"  
  
All conversation in the bar stopped instantly. Everyone's head turned toward the three, most  
particularly in the direction of the caramel-haired girl.  
  
Naru put her sunglasses back on, too late. "Maybe they didn't get a good look at me..." she  
whispered hopefully.

* * *

A half hour later Mitsune and Naru laid on the floor of Hinata Inn's living, faces flushed from  
exertion and breathing heavily. Naru was laying on her side, and said in between gasps for air,  
"We... finally... lost them..."  
  
Mitsune was sprawled out on the floor, her body resembling a five-pointed star. She said haltingly,  
"Naru-san... your fans are... a little crazy..."  
  
Hina sat on the couch, peacefully sipping tea. "How long are you two going to lie there?"  
  
Naru opened one eye to look at Hina. "We're... dying over here... and she's... having tea..."  
  
Mitsune took a few more deep breaths before she pulled herself into a sitting position, though she  
was hunched over a bit from exhaustion. She shook her head with exasperation as she marveled, "You  
never change... you old bat."  
  
Naru pulled herself up as well, asking, "How do... you two... know each other?"  
  
Hina sighed. "A few years ago, I tried to convert this inn into a girl's dormitory. Mitsune was  
the only person that signed up, and her rent alone couldn't keep up the whole place. It failed,  
but I've been keeping watch on her ever since."  
  
"More like interfering in my life," Mitsune sighed as she straightened herself out. "You always  
make trouble for me."  
  
Hina glared at her out of the corner of her eye. "Your life needs interfering with. Besides, I  
think you'll appreciate it this time. Let me explain..."

* * *

Mitsune took a long sip from her tea, setting it down slowly. She raised her head to look at Naru  
through half-closed eyes for a moment before saying, "Let me get this straight... You want to give  
up fame, fortune, and popularity so you can practice with a bunch of teens in a garage? Um, no  
offense, but..." She coughed as she finished, "You're kinda stupid, aren't you?"  
  
"WHAT?!" Naru screeched. "How am I NOT supposed to take offense to that?"  
  
"Hey, you got a lucky break. Most girls would kill to be in your shoes. You might not get this  
lucky again... you really want to give it all up?"  
  
"Whether other girls want to be in my position has nothing to do with whether I enjoy being an  
idol. I don't like it, and there's no good reason why I have to suffer when I don't have to. I've  
always done only what I wanted to do, and I'd rather start from the bottom and change my position  
than whine about how much I dislike my life."  
  
Mitsune cringed. "Kinda selfish, too..."  
  
Naru retorted, "What's so selfish about wanting to be happy? Like you said, there's plenty of  
girls who would rather have my position. They can have it. I want to do something different,  
something more meaningful, with my music."  
  
The silver-haired girl sighed long and loud, coming back up with a tiny smile. "Heh... I don't  
get you. But you know, it might be fun to watch. Lord knows I've needed something interesting to  
occupy me for a while. Alright, Naru-san." She held out her hand for a shake. "I'm with you...  
for as long as your dream lasts."  
  
Naru frowned, disappointed slightly. "Geez, don't go getting all overexcited or anything..."  
  
Mitsune shrugged nonchalantly. "If you want me to be more energetic, show me something worth  
getting all worked up for."  
  
Naru smirked. "That sounds like a challenge... all right." She clasped Mitsune's hand in her  
own tightly, her competitive side roaring to life. "Watch closely, Mitsune-san. I'll show you  
something truly spectacular... the birth of a music legend."  
  
Mitsune smirked back. "And a little full of yourself, to top it all off?"  
  
Naru shook her head. "I didn't mean me. I meant us."

* * *

Naru stood on the roof of Hinata Inn, looking up into the sky wistfully. She sighed heavily,  
weary beyond words. She had no idea anything like this would happen at the beginning of the day.  
She knew she shouldn't complain, though... anything was better than spending another day making  
that dork Kentaro rich off her looks.  
  
A voice from behind startled her, "You've made the first step toward your dream, Naru. I would  
expect you to be happier."  
  
Naru turned toward Grandma Hina, the source of the voice, and explained, "I'm not unhappy... it's  
just that Mitsune-san doesn't seem very enthusiastic. It's almost like she said 'yes' only because  
she doesn't have anything better to do. I was sort of hoping for people with a little more...  
passion."  
  
Hina nodded. "She may be a little cynical and gloomy, but that's only because of her past. Don't  
hold it against her."  
  
"Her... past?"  
  
Hina smiled. "Forget what an old coot like me says. More importantly, she's only the first  
member of your band. You'll need more than just her."  
  
"So, then who else...?"  
  
Hina smiled. "That will be up to you. I can't do everything for you... you need to find band  
members you can get along with, that share the same passion for music. Mitsune can help you with  
that. By the way, Naru... where are you staying while you're in town?"  
  
Naru cringed. Where COULD she go? She sure as heck couldn't go back to the hotel, even if she  
wanted to. Kentaro would be waiting for her there. Her mother lived nearby, sure, but...  
  
"Um... I haven't gotten that far yet. I guess I need to rent a room in some motel nearby..."  
  
Grandma Hina eyes wandered around the room. "This building... it's an inn, you know..." Grandma  
Hina sighed. "The Urashima family still owns it, but we haven't used it in a while. I'm afraid  
you'll have to fix the place up a bit yourselves. But it's up in the hills, so you won't bother  
anyone with the noise from rehearsals. Also, if you ever need to relax, there's a natural hot  
spring in the back... I've been taking pretty good care of it, just in case a guest pops in."  
  
Naru's jaw dropped. "This... Grandma Hina, this is too much! I can't accept a gift like  
this...!"  
  
"Who's giving you anything? This inn isn't making any money now, so I might as well let an  
interesting freeloader stick around."  
  
Naru's eyes widened in surprise. "Grannie..."  
  
Hina raised an eyebrow. "Don't get too familiar, now. For the moment, I'm not only your boss but  
your landlord too. Now then, don't you have other things to be doing?"  
  
"Right!" Naru agreed quickly, skipping away to discuss prospective new members with Mitsune.  
  
Hina shook her head as she watched her walk away. "Now... what kind of dream will take shape...?"**_Mitsune Konno - Saxophone, Backup vocals_**

* * *

_Next time: Way of the Samurai_

* * *


	2. Second Show: Way of the Samurai

Author's Note: And now, for the second chapter! This chapter introduces Motoko, who is... a little  
rougher around the edges than you might remember. Yes, I know what I'm doing. I think...  
  
Translation Note: In Japanese show business, "good morning" is the standard greeting regardless of  
what time of day it is. Since she has spent the last three months as an idol, it is not so much a stretch that it has become second nature for Naru. Mitsune would not know this bit of etiquette since she is still very much small-time.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters in this story are property of Ken Akamatsu, and are used without  
permission. Please do not sue me, I have no money.

* * *

**HINATA GIRLS**  
_Road to Stardom!_  
by TheArchimage

* * *

"Mitsune-san, this is a middle school! And not only that, it's Mintai! Mintai Middle School is  
famous for being a haven for delinquents, even I know that! Where are we going to find talent  
here?"  
  
Mitsune explained, "It was about a month or two ago. A rock band, Route 5, was having a concert  
near here. Most of their music was forgettable, so I initially thought they were a bust. But one  
of the members, the drummer, was really good. I was too far back to see him well, but he went by  
the stage name of 'Samurai'. It always struck me as really out of place, that someone that good  
was hanging out with a bunch of punks with no talent. The band didn't last, but I stayed on the  
lookout for that guy."  
  
"And that relates to this how...?"  
  
"I found out that there's someone who goes by that nickname at Mintai. It's not a good lead, but  
it's the best one I've got on the guy. A lot of the rumors are kinda scary, but you said you  
wanted talent. You're not going to find anyone better than this guy, even if he is a little  
dangerous."  
  
Naru looked up at the school. The building itself looked a little dirty, and there were numerous  
broken windows. Weeds poked up through the concrete of the courtyard, and any lines there used to  
be for the parking lot and basketball court were faded almost to the point of invisibility. Derisive  
laughter floated out from the building, reflecting the nastiness of the school's reputation.  
  
Naru swallowed hard. "I don't feel so good about this..."

* * *

**-Second Show-**  
Way of the Samurai

* * *

The halls were dusty and cracked, a far cry from Naru's own high school. She stuck close to Mitsune,  
lamenting her poor fortune. "Why is it that the path to a good band always leads me through really  
seedy places?"  
  
"Oh hush," Mitsune sighed. "If you're going to whine, you should have stayed back at that run-down  
inn."  
  
"I'm not whining!" Naru retorted. "It's just... I don't really belong in places like this. It  
makes me feel really nervous..."  
  
"Well, get over it fast. Because we've arrived."  
  
Naru looked over Mitsune's shoulder and into the classroom. The teacher had already left for the  
day, and there were several students lounging around and talking amongst themselves. There wasn't  
a single pleated skirt in the entire room, and the scent of cigarette smoke was in the air. Naru  
cringed with nervousness. "This class is all boys... and it's in grade 3. This must be the rough  
class of all the rough classes."  
  
"It is," Mitsune assured her, not frightened in the least. "But this is where we want to be.  
That one, in the back with the long black hair. That's the one we want, Samurai. I'd recognize  
that hair anywhere. From here on in, it's up to you... just go on over, introduce yourself, and  
explain what you're doing."  
  
Naru turned toward her slowly, becoming less and less sure of this idea. "Ho-Hold it! We have to  
recruit guys into the band, too?"  
  
Mitsune gave her a withering look. "You want the best band? You can't hold something like gender  
against a person."  
  
Naru shook her head. "It's not that. It's just... I've heard of a lot of bands where they had  
both boys and girls. Sometimes... they fall in love, and start dating. And for a while, it's okay.  
But then, when they break up, or a love triangle forms, all kinds of things happen. I've heard..."  
  
Mitsune interrupted, "Heard? I've seen it happen, kid, right before my eyes. I see a lot of bands  
up on the stage, and a lot of them don't last more than a few months because of what you just  
described. It's kinda sad, but happens all the time."  
  
"So why are we opening ourselves up to that kind of trouble?!"  
  
Mitsune looked down at the ground, thinking to herself. After a lengthy pause she said, "Well...  
if you want the best band, you have to take risks like this. It's not going to happen on its own.  
Besides..." She looked up with closed eyes and a grin as she finished, "I think it would be kinda  
interesting if something like that happened!"  
  
Naru narrowed her eyes. "That isn't exactly a compelling argument..."  
  
"Never mind that, just go to it!"  
  
Naru held her breath as she entered the room, Mitsune lounging against the doorway to watch. She  
glanced left and right, grateful that none of the boys seemed to have noticed her yet. She was  
dressed in casual gear that Mitsune helped pick out, white summer wear that showed off her midriff  
and most of her legs. She was quite a sight, and she knew that these people wouldn't stop looking  
once they caught a glimpse.  
  
The boy's back was toward Naru; he had swiveled his chair in the opposite direction and was resting  
his feet on the desk behind him. His uniform had a few barely-visible stitches and was threadbare  
in places. He looked asleep, his head tilted low so his eyes could not be seen. He had long black  
hair that nearly touched the floor, though part of this was because he was slouched low in his  
seat.  
  
"Um... good morning!" If the boy heard her, he made no sign of it.  
  
Mitsune sighed to herself, "'Good morning'? It's the middle of the afternoon, what the heck is she  
doing? Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to send Naru in alone..."  
  
"My name is Naru Narusegawa..." Again, nothing. The rest of the class had turned toward her,  
mumbling to themselves. Maybe some of these people had heard of her? Naru was beginning to feel  
self-conscious... she could feel their stares on her. Ordinarily she'd love the attention, but  
from people like this... She bit back her unease and tried to continue, "I'm trying to start a  
band... I heard that you were a very good drummer, and I was wondering... if you weren't with  
another band now..."  
  
The boy did not move or even act like he heard her. Was he asleep? Or was she just being ignored?  
Naru's timidity was quickly giving way to annoyance. "Hey!" Naru raised her voice. "I'm talking  
to you, you know!"  
  
A heavy footfall broke Naru's concentration. Her head turned slowly, then panned up. Standing in  
front of her was a very tall, very brutish, and decidedly unattractive boy grinning ear to ear.  
His smile looked like that of a six year old with a magnifying glass looking over a hill of ants  
on a hot summer day. Naru grimaced, not liking being stared at like that. She'd dealt with fans  
before, but this was something completely different...  
  
"Heya, cutie!" the boy leered. "Whatcha wasting your time with that dork for? You don't look like  
you're from around here... mind if we show you some places to have fun?"  
  
Naru felt the blood drain from her face as she stepped backward. "N-no thank you. I already have  
plans, s-so..."  
  
"Don't worry!" A voice behind her caused her to stop backing up. "It won't take long at all...  
will it?" Three sets of laughter alerted Naru to the presence of another boy, and she realized  
with dread that she was surrounded. One in front, two behind... and the one in front was approaching.  
She froze in place, unable to even think.  
  
Mitsune sighed, shaking her head from the doorway. 'That's what she gets for drawing attention...  
should have told her not to use her real name.' She took her hands out from behind her head and  
cracked her knuckles as she thought, 'Looks like it's up to me to bail her out. What a hassle...'  
  
Just at that moment, there was a whizzing sound followed by a harsh crack. One of the boys suddenly  
fell face forward, his face contorted in an expression of surprise and pain. He hit the ground with  
a thump while an unsharpened pencil clattered to the ground at his feet. Had anyone bothered to  
look at the back of this boy's neck, they would have seen a hexagonal imprint there with a gray  
graphite mark in the center. This mark was right on top of a critical pressure point of the human  
body, but no one there would have known that.  
  
There was a moment of silence as everyone stared in horror at the unconscious boy. His friends  
grimaced as they looked down at their fallen comrade, then whirled around angrily. "Samurai!" one  
of the boys shouted. "What's your problem?!"  
  
The boy hadn't seemed to have moved an inch since the last time Naru looked, nor did he turn now.  
He only raised his head slightly as he responded, "Three of you tough guys ganging up on one  
spindly upclass girl? I don't like it. At all." Although now that Naru had heard his voice...  
  
She stepped backward. "Wait... Samurai-san is... a girl?!"  
  
The "boy" looked at Naru over her shoulder, revealing her obviously feminine facial features. She  
had high-set cheekbones and a small mouth. Her chin came down almost to a point and her brown eyes  
were narrowed, giving her a slightly mean look. "Something wrong?" she asked, genuinely confused.  
  
Naru immediately apologized, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to mistake you for a boy..."  
  
Samurai smiled slightly as she replied, "But it's hard not to, since I'm wearing a boy's uniform.  
Right?" She took her feet off the desk behind her and turned toward the other boys, her smile  
vanishing. "From now on, she's under my protection. Anyone messes with her, they'll have to deal  
with me. Got it?"  
  
The two other boys recoiled and pulled their friend away, giving Naru much more space then before.  
Naru swallowed, wondering whether this was really the kind of person she wanted liking her.  
  
Samurai walked up to Naru, slouching with her hands in the pockets of the gakuran. Even hunched  
over she was taller than Naru by a few centimeters, and her frame was quite large for a female as  
well. Naru unconsciously balled her fists, feeling threatened by the girl's presence. This action  
was not lost on the taller girl, who stopped suddenly.  
  
"I have no problems if you want a fight," Samurai warned, although she seemed more amused than  
angry. "But if you attack me with that fist, you're more likely to hurt yourself than me."  
  
Naru gasped, bringing up her fist to look at it. Her other fingers were tucked around her thumb,  
and her knuckles were badly out of line with each other. "Seriously?"  
  
Samurai sighed. "Man... with your thumb tucked in like that, it will break the second you try to  
hit someone. You're obviously not here to start a fight... so why else could you be bothering me?"  
  
Naru started, "What? Oh, right! Um, I'm trying to start a band, and I heard you were a really  
good drummer..."  
  
Samurai tilted her head slightly. "Who did you hear that from?"  
  
Mitsune chose this moment to walk over, inspecting the taller girl as she answered, "I told her.  
You don't know me but I attended one of your shows, back when you were with Route 5."  
  
Samurai's eyes flashed recognition at that name. "I see... And?"  
  
Naru continued, "Well, I thought... if you weren't with another band now, you could join ours!"  
  
Samurai sighed heavily, eyes closed. "It's true that I haven't found another band, but... Well,  
you came all this way. I guess I'll hear you out. Come on, follow me."  
  
Naru asked cautiously, "Um... where are you leading us, Samurai-san?"  
  
"I live in a small apartment nearby. We can discuss things there. The name's Motoko Aoyama, by  
the way. Please call me that... I don't really like my nickname."  
  
Naru nodded, a little more relaxed. "Okay, Motoko-chaAAAAAH!" Motoko had stepped directly in front  
of her, their faces only inches apart. Motoko was now standing at her full height, glowering down.  
There was a terrible shadow across her face and a grim expression that made Naru quake with fear.  
  
"Don't use '-chan'," Motoko warned as she walked past. Naru stood unmoving for a moment, then fell  
to her knees unceremoniously. Naru laughed nervously, her face pale.  
  
Mitsune raised an eyebrow as the tall girl walked past her. She wondered aloud, "Geez, what's with  
her...?"

* * *

Kentaro observed the destroyed interior of the bar carefully. Tables had been overturned, drinks  
spilled, and peanuts scattered throughout the place, all signs of a riot. A few of his workers were  
combing the area, looking for clues about what created the mess. Among them were two locals he had  
hired for just this occasion. They claimed to know the town better than anyone else, but since no  
one had ever heard of them before he was able to get their services cheap.  
  
"Ah!" came a voice from a corner. "Check this out!"  
  
Kentaro walked over to where his two specially hired trackers were investigating. "You two. What  
news?"  
  
The fatter of the two of them grimaced as he corrected, "We're not 'you two'! We're Haitani and  
Shirai, private investigators!"  
  
"Whatever," Kentaro waved off. "What did you find?"  
  
The taller, slimmer of the two held up something in front of him with a pair of pliers. "A broken  
pair of sunglasses. A 55,000 yen pair of sunglasses, to be specific. Nobody who could afford  
designer shades would visit a dive like this..."  
  
Shirai finished his colleague's thought, "Unless they were trying to hide out. And we only know of  
one rich person in the area who's trying to hide..."  
  
Kentaro clenched his fist, his eyes narrowing. "So the rumors were true. She was here. Naru...  
I'm catching up to you..."

* * *

Motoko's apartment was in a fairly run-down apartment building, three stories tall and obviously  
hit hard from the recession. While it wasn't filthy or uninviting, it definitely had a lived-in  
look about it. Naru stuck close to Mitsune, unused to these kinds of surroundings and thus  
a bit wary of them. Motoko walked in front, no longer slouching but instead standing very tall and  
proud. Was the "tough girl" an image she put on so guys like that wouldn't bother her, Naru  
wondered?  
  
Well, maybe a little small talk would clear that up. Naru asked, "Um... Motoko... can I ask you  
something? If you're a girl, how come you dress like a boy?"  
  
"It couldn't be helped," the girl in the gakuran explained defensively. "I had a girl's uniform  
before, but I get in a lot of fights so the skirt kept getting torn up. The boy's uniform is a  
bit sturdier, so I bought one of those instead."  
  
Naru was still nervous, but for an entirely different reason than before. Maybe she really was a  
scary person. "F-Fights?"  
  
Motoko looked at her evenly. "Of course. That sort of thing happens often at Mintai." She looked  
up to remark, "Here we are. This is where I live. Please excuse the mess," she said as she slipped  
the key into the lock and turned the knob.  
  
The door creaked loudly as it opened. A large series of objects on the opposite side of the room  
immediately caught Naru's attention. It was a three-piece drum set: the simplest style of drums,  
consisting of a bass drum, tom-tom, floor tom, and snare drum as well as one each of high hat, ride  
cymbals, and crash cymbals. Naru's eyes widened on seeing it. "WOW! How awesome!"  
  
"There's really nothing here but the drum set, though," Mitsune said. "It might be big, but it's  
all empty."  
  
Naru glanced around the room once more. Mitsune was right; the floors and walls were completely  
bare, and there were no furnishings anywhere. Except for the drum set and an ornate wooden chest  
in the corner, the room was barren. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere along the floor, making  
the emptiness just that more prominent. "You actually live here? Alone?"  
  
"For now," Motoko sighed. "My roommate moved out a couple weeks ago, and I haven't found another  
one. I get a little bit of money working as a bouncer for a club nearby, but it's not enough to  
keep the payments up. I've been selling most of my belongings to make up the difference... this  
and the clothes I'm wearing now is all I have left."  
  
Naru opened her mouth to ask if her parents could lend her money, but a hand on her shoulder  
stopped her. She turned to see Mitsune shaking her head vehemently. Mitsune knew what she was  
going to ask, and apparently thought it was a bad idea. Naru did not really understand the  
situation, but decided Mitsune knew more about this kind of stuff than she did.  
  
Instead Naru asked, "So, if you still have your drum set with you... do you think we could have a  
listen? Mitsune's already heard you, but I've never heard a drum solo before..."  
  
Motoko smiled as she took her place behind the drums, taking off her shoes before sitting. "Well,  
as long as I'm leaving... I might as well tick off the neighbors one last time." She took a deep  
breath, spinning her drumsticks her hands. She tapped them together to set up a rhythm. "An  
eight-beat variation," Motoko introduced. "It's a basic of rock music; not very flashy, but I  
doubt Naru-san is familiar with it anyway."  
  
Without any further warning she slammed the drumsticks onto the tops of the drums, creating a sound  
loud enough to make Naru squeak in surprise. Her arms flew across the drums and cymbals, creating  
a cacophony that blended with itself as well as any melody. Motoko's hair danced this way and that,  
jerking through the air as thought it were moving to the beat of the drums.  
  
After several minutes Motoko increased the tempo. Her hands and arms became a blur, the bangs and  
crashes building up to a crescendo. Finally she slammed both drumsticks on opposite cymbals, causing  
a loud crash that symbolized the end of her drum solo.  
  
Mitsune whistled in appreciation as Motoko caught her breath. "You've gotten better since the last  
time I heard you," Mitsune said simply. "Or maybe, I could just hear you better without those other  
bozos drowning you out. What did you think, Naru? I know you don't usually listen to this kind of  
thing, but..."  
  
"She's good," Naru said, shivering with excitement. "Really good. For some reason, I'm all fired  
up. Those fast beats really get your adrenaline flowing, huh?"  
  
Motoko took a deep breath, wiping sweat off her brow. "I got into the drums because I wanted to be  
good at something besides beating people up. I've had this set since I was twelve, and I've  
practiced almost every day since then."  
  
"Such dedication..." Mitsune marveled. "You really are a samurai..."  
  
Motoko shook her head. "No... I just wanted to change myself." Motoko's eyes fell as she  
explained, "I have little money, I am not friendly, and my grades are poor. I have little use for  
authority figures, and am ill at ease in acting feminine. As long as my only talent was fighting,  
I could never be anything more than a thug. I had to have some other talent in order to find what  
my real passion was. That's why..."  
  
Naru gasped. "So... you too?"  
  
Motoko looked up, confused. "... 'Too'?"  
  
Naru nodded. "Yeah. You see... I was always kind of shy and reserved. I never had any real good  
friends throughout junior high, and even through high school. I was sorta listless... I didn't  
know what I wanted to do with my life, which direction I wanted to go in."  
  
Mitsune looked at her dubiously. "I find it hard to believe _you_ were ever like that..."  
"But I didn't want to always be meek and quiet. I wanted to change. I wanted to be proud of  
myself, to do something that I loved with all my heart and soul. That's why I tried to become an  
idol singer... but even then, I was only listening to what other people thought I should do. I was  
still as quiet and meek as ever, I had just hid it a little better. I wanted to be in control of  
my own life... that was the only way I thought I could really find what I wanted." Naru smiled at  
Motoko as she finished, "So you see... we're really the same!"  
  
Motoko stared at Naru for a long while, utterly amazed. Motoko recovered her composure, thinking  
carefully. "You say this band... is your freedom?"  
  
"It's a lot of things," Naru admitted a little sheepishly. "Among them, it's very small right now.  
I really think we could be really great together, Motoko. Please, join up with us."  
  
Motoko took a deep breath with her eyes closed, carefully considering the offer. After a long  
moment she opened her eyes again, looking at Naru with a slight smile. "Then... for a little or a  
long while, I'll accompany you. But be warned... I don't like anyone telling me what to do. If  
I decide to pursue my own goals, I won't let any of you stop me."  
  
Naru smirked, holding out her hand. "As long as you're heading nowhere but up we'll be right along  
with you, Motoko-chan." Motoko smiled back as she clasped Naru's hand in her own, giving it a firm  
shake. Her grip was strong, and Naru would have winced if she wasn't smiling so broadly.  
  
It didn't last. Motoko's other hand came up and started pulling at Naru's cheek, causing her to  
wince in pain. Motoko continued to smile, although it was a little more malicious now. "Naru-san?"  
she asked. "What did I tell you about using '-chan'?"  
  
Naru closed her eyes as she clumsily apologized, "I'm berry sowwy, Botoko... Ih won happen ahain..."  
  
Mitsune buried her face in her hands after witnessing this exchange. "For crying out loud... I'm  
going to have to be in the same band as her?"

* * *

Naru, Mitsune, and Motoko were all climbing up the stairs to Hinata Inn. Naru and Mitsune were  
lugging pieces of the drum set as Motoko hefted her wooden chest. Although Motoko seemed to have  
no problem with her burden, the two other girls were straining under the weight.  
  
"'Samurai', my foot!" Mitsune grumbled. "If you're supposed to be an honorable samurai, why are  
you making two fragile girls carry the heavy stuff?"  
  
"I thought I told you I didn't like that nickname," Motoko said without turning around. "I never  
claimed to live up to the title."  
  
Naru would have said something to the effect of, "You're the strongest one here, you carry this  
junk!", but it was taking all of her effort to carry the equipment. Besides, Motoko didn't seem to  
want anyone else to touch the box she was carrying up, and Naru HAD been the one who wanted to get  
everything in one trip...  
  
As soon as they reached the interior of the Inn, Naru and Mitsune collapsed. The various drums,  
cymbals, and stands they were carrying fell to the ground with them, causing an enormous racket.  
"Forget it," Mitsune huffed. "No more... my arms'll fall off... if I carry that stuff one more  
step..."  
  
"What is all that racket?" Grandma Hina said as she came down the stairs. She paused as she took  
in the situation, then raised an eyebrow at the three girls. "Who is she?" she said, obviously  
referring to the gakuran girl. "Another freeloader, I'm guessing?"  
  
"She's... a new friend..." Naru gasped, taking one last big gulp of breath. Naru raised herself  
to her feet to explain, "This is Motoko-cha... I mean, -san! Her rent runs out today, and she  
doesn't have anywhere else to go..."  
  
Motoko exhaled sharply as she looked around the foyer, noting the state of disrepair. "What a  
dump..."  
  
Naru screeched as she clapped a hand over Motoko's mouth. "Ahahahaha... so anyway, she's going to  
be part of our band, so please give her a place to stay like you gave me! Please?"  
  
Hina sighed deeply. "Do whatever you want. Just try to keep the racket down... some people prefer  
it to be quiet sometime."  
  
"Alright!" Naru cheered, sharing a high-five with Mitsune.  
  
Immediately afterwards Mitsune returned to her senses, and stared at her hand. "Oh no, all her  
enthusiasm is rubbing off on me..."  
  
"I'll pick a room upstairs," Motoko said, walking past them with her wooden chest. "I will carry  
the set up myself, so you two can rest."  
  
Naru called to her, "No, it's okay Motoko! We'll help you!" Mitsune gave her an evil eye, but she  
didn't noticed.  
  
Motoko turned her head to look at her over her shoulder. "No, it is not needed. I am part of the  
band now. I shall have to pull my own weight."  
  
Mitsune breathed a sigh of relief from her place on the floor. "Thank goodness... I don't think I  
can move anymore..." Naru gave her a glare, but privately she was also thankful; that long climb  
burdened by heavy instruments had completely enervated her. She wasn't sure how she was even  
standing. On that note Naru fell backwards onto the couch, fanning her shirt to cool off.  
  
Motoko chuckled slightly, then bowed. "Excuse me, then." She then walked upstairs, still carrying  
the chest.  
  
Naru smiled as she watched her go. "She's actually a good person, I think. We'll all get along  
fine."  
  
Mitsune cringed in response. "I sure hope so..."_**Motoko Aoyama - Drums**_

* * *

_Next time: Heartache of a Pianist_

* * *


	3. Third Show: Heartache of a Pianist

Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait between updates... I was very busy for most of last semester. If  
pressed, though, I have no idea how I was spending all my time... and I thought my dad was kidding when he  
said my twenties would fly by before I knew it. Anyway, this chapter introduces Shinobu. After writing  
this chapter I finally realized why Shinobu is one of my least favorite characters in the whole series:  
pretty much her entire character is focused around her crush on Keitaro. There's very little depth to her  
outside of that. Remove Keitaro from the picture, as I had to do for this fic, and Shinobu's got almost  
nothing to build a personality on. This is especially true if you're a manga-purist: only the anime goes  
into her history at any length, and even then it's only a single episode's worth.

Er... I'm babbling, aren't I? Anyway, I profusely thank everyone who's reviewed so far. Reviews really  
brighten my day, so... thanks!

Cultural Note: In Japan, all schooling above middle school (10th grade and beyond) is optional and is not  
usually paid for by the state. Naru does not have to go to high school, although it would still be a very  
good idea for her to do so for obvious reasons.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story, save for a few minor characters, are property of Ken Akamatsu  
and are used without permission. Please do not sue me, I have no money.

* * *

**HINATA GIRLS**  
_Road to Stardom!_  
by TheArchimage

* * *

Naru, Mitsune, and Motoko were sitting at one of the small round tables in Haruka's tea shop. Naru blew on  
her tea to cool it down a little while Motoko gulped down her glass of water. Mitsune had already finished  
her tea, so she decided to start things off. She said, "Now that we have three members, things will get  
tricky. We have to find members that are similar enough to who we already have so that we don't create  
friction within the group, but they also need to be different enough so that we don't have two people with  
the same image."

Motoko looked at Mitsune out of the corner of her eye as she put her glass down. "Image?"

"Right. For instance, you, Naru, are the pretty one..."

"I am not JUST pretty, Mitsune-san," Naru said, anger creeping into her voice.

"I didn't say that!" Mitsune said defensively. "Yikes, kinda sensitive about that aren't you?"

Naru sighed. "A lot of people have been getting rich exploiting this 'pretty face'. I'm kind of sick of  
it being the only thing people pay attention to when they see me."

"All right, all right. I'll be more careful if it bugs you that much. Moving back on track... I would be  
the mature big sister, and Motoko here would be the tough, butch girl."

Motoko nodded, either not catching the subtle insult or not caring. "I follow you so far. So for our  
remaining members, we can't have anyone that's the same 'type'?"

"Exactly right!" Mitsune said, holding up a finger. "We need to find someone that doesn't clash with our  
own images! I think that we need a smaller, younger girl for our next member."

Naru threw up her hands, exasperated. "We're making a band, Mitsune-san, not a magical girl squad!  
Diversity is no match for talent! What we NEED are musicians!"

Mitsune smirked. "I haven't forgotten that, Naru. We need a younger musician... a quiet, embarrassed  
little-sister type that everyone can cheer for. And I think I know just the place to find one... Seiren  
Middle School."

Naru beamed at this name. "Really? Yay! That's my old middle school!"

Motoko winced. "That's one of those fancy places... right?"

* * *

**-Third Show-**  
Heartache of a Pianist

* * *

The group walked down the halls slowly to avoid attracting undue attention. They needn't have bothered; it  
was already past time for class to be let out for the day, so most of the students and faculty had left  
already. Besides, the three of them did not look like middle-schoolers in the slightest. This was only  
made more surreal by the fact that Motoko actually was in middle school.

Speaking of Motoko, it was her turn to look out-of-place: she was still wearing her Mintai gakuran, it  
being the only clothing she currently owned. The Mintai emblem on the left side of her chest would have  
sent the kids in a "nice" place like this running, so Naru lent her the green cloak she had worn a few days  
ago. She was noticeably uncomfortable, clutching the cloak closed tightly with one hand.

"Now this school's a little more like the atmosphere I'm comfortable with!" Naru smiled. "It's so nice...  
it's just like how I remember it. I swear, my reputation is going to be shot if I go nowhere but bars and  
seedy schools."

Mitsune sighed in slight irritation. "Maybe your reputation wouldn't be so badly damaged if you didn't  
insist on dropping your name so much..."

"Hey!" Naru interrupted. "You're the one who shouted out my name in a bar, so I don't want to hear that  
from you. I'm just glad I get to be back in a real school again. Um, no offense to your school, Motoko."

Motoko shook her head, distracted. "None taken. I don't like my school much anyway. Even so, I do not  
fit in at a place like this..."

Mitsune suddenly asked, "Hey, Naru... speaking of school, shouldn't you be looking into going back? It's  
been a few days since you ran away, and I haven't seen you studying at all..."

"Whatever!" Naru blew her off. "I've got more important things to do than schoolwork right now!"

Mitsune scratched her head. "If you say so... I know high school is voluntary, but it seems to me you have  
to actually know stuff if you don't want people to think of you as stupid."

"Now wait just a-!"

Naru wasn't able to finish before she heard a shriek. A small form plowed into Motoko's back, tumbling  
backwards as the taller girl stumbled forward. Motoko turned her head slightly, glowering angrily. "Who  
the hell just ran into me?" she snarled before whirling around.

Lying on the ground was a girl in the Seiren uniform. She was head and shoulders shorter than Motoko. She  
had bluish-green hair that went down to the nape of her neck, and was currently wincing from the sudden  
impact. She opened her eyes and looked up to see who she just ran into.

Motoko crouched down to get a better look at the girl. Her sneer had vanished the moment she turned around,  
her expression now being one of complete calm and serenity. She held out a hand to the girl and asked,  
concerned, "Are you hurt? Here, let me help you up."

The girl seemed a little unsure, but took hold of the offered hand anyway. Motoko pulled the girl to her  
feet quickly, releasing her hand as soon as she was up. The girl bowed quickly and apologized, "Sorry! I  
was in a rush... thank you for helping me."

Motoko shook her head and smiled as she replied, "No, it's fine. But please watch where you are going in  
the future."

"R-right! Um, excuse me!" And with that the girl ran off. 

Motoko waved after her, still smiling. She blinked suddenly as she turned to face her two companions.  
Both Naru and Mitsune had screwed-up smiles on their faces, their mouths twisted to let only the tiniest of  
snickers through. Motoko's eyes narrowed, smile dying. "... What?"

That was the signal for both of them to break into uncontrollable gales of laughter. Mitsune crumpled  
over, holding her stomach while shouting, "Waaaahahaha! Motoko looks too funny when she's being polite!"

Motoko's jaw dropped. "Hey! Shut up! Even if I'm a delinquent I can be nice if I want!"

Naru wiped the tiny tears out of her eyes as she struggled to stop laughing. "Ha ha... maybe... heh...  
she's just nice to younger kids?"

Motoko hastily turned to hide her face from them. "I-It's nothing like that! I just don't see any point  
in bullying the weak, that's all."

Mitsune playfully tapped Motoko's stomach with the back of her hand. "There's a difference between not  
bullying them and turning into a total sap."

"What did you say?!"

"Shhhh!" Naru shushed the two of them suddenly, holding up a singe finger. "Listen... do you hear that?"

The gentle sound of a piano wafted through the hallways as sleek as a spring breeze. The melody was slow  
and melancholic, stopping the brewing argument instantly.

Mitsune looked at Naru. "Naru, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Naru clapped her hands excitedly. "Jackpot!"

* * *

The music room was much like any other room in the school, with the obvious addition of a grand piano at  
the front of the room. The girl at said piano had navy blue bobbed hair, unadorned with any accessories  
and seemingly quite plain. Her face was thin and short, her expression calmly joyful as she played. Her  
fingers danced majestically across the keyboard, lightly brushing against the keys with eloquent grace.

Another girl stood just behind her, quietly listening. She had dark brown hair in pigtails, and freckles  
dotted her cheeks. Also in the room, standing just by the door, was the girl with greenish-blue hair that  
Motoko had run into earlier. She had just slipped in, and was still struggling to catch her breath.

The final notes lingered in the air as the song was completed. The player took a deep breath to steady  
herself while clapping filled the air. Another pair of clapping hands joined the first one, startling her.  
"Ah!" she gasped in surprise, then put a hand to her chest while smiling. "Kaiho-chan, I didn't hear you  
come in..."

Kaiho, the girl with greenish-blue hair, pouted, "Geez, I almost missed the show. You couldn't have waited  
one more minute for me, you know."

The piano girl put her hands together apologetically. "Well, Taichi-chan was in a rush because she needs  
to get back home really soon, so..."

The door opened at that moment, and three taller girls busted into the room. Naru ran in at full speed  
then skidded to a stop, waving her arms to keep from falling over. Mitsune and Motoko walked in behind  
her at a much more leisurely pace. They glanced around the room, then turned to stare at the three  
younger girls.

Taichi stepped behind the girl at the piano, asking meekly, "Um... may we help you?"

Kaiho pointed at the three girls suddenly, gasping. "Ah! You're the cool person! And those are the two  
weirdoes!"

Motoko blinked, her cheeks becoming an adorable shade of pink. "C-Cool?"

Naru and Mitsune both crossed their arms over their chests as they yelled back, "Hey! Who are you calling  
weirdoes?"

Kaiho huffed, "Well, you just stood there with funny looks on your faces! What am I supposed to think  
about you two?"

Mitsune continued, "We have names, you know! Ahem... mine's Mitsune Konno. That one's Motoko Aoyama."

Naru followed suit, bowing with, "And I'm Naru Narusegawa."

Kaiho raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, tell me another one."

Naru frowned as she retorted, "I'm serious! I really am!"

Taichi pointed out, "Well, she really looks like the pictures in magazines, and they have been saying she's  
gone missing... maybe..."

The piano girl calmed them down, "Now now Kaiho-chan... it doesn't matter whether she's that Naru or not.  
She seems like a good person, so let's just hear her out." She turned toward the three older girls and  
bowed. "My name is Shinobu Maehara, and these are my friends Kaiho-chan and Taichi-chan. It's very nice  
to meet you."

Naru blinked on seeing the girl's face. Something about that smile seemed off. She tried not to think  
about it too much, but it looked somehow... familiar, and not in a good way.

Mitsune stepped forward. "We were just visiting and we heard something interesting from this room. Are  
you the one who was just playing?"

Shinobu gasped a little. "Eh? You heard that? Well... yes, that was me playing. I'm sorry, I thought  
everyone else had gone home already..."

Naru beamed, "You shouldn't be embarrassed, you're really good! Incredibly good! Hey, listen... I'm going  
around trying to find members for a band, and-"

Mitsune stepped in, finishing, "And if you impress us, we'll let you join up with us. But we need to hear  
you first."

Naru shot her friend a look, saying, "What are you talking about? We just heard her! She's-"

Mitsune pulled her aside and whispered in her ear, "Something isn't right. Nothing I can put my finger  
on... but I just want to make sure."

Naru blinked. "Oh...?"

Mitsune concluded, "I want to hear what she's capable of for myself." Mitsune raised her voice to say to  
Shinobu, "Is that okay with you?"

The piano girl nodded. "Oh yes, that's perfectly fine! Let's see, ummm... how about... this piece!"  
Shinobu cheerfully replaced the sheet music, humming a little to herself. "I'm going to be playing this  
one at the recital tomorrow."

Taichi spoke up suddenly, "Um... Shinobu-chan, are you going to be okay? I have to go..."

"Seriously?" Kaiho responded taking a look at the clock. "Aw, man, me too. Well, the cool girl will be  
with her, so I guess it's all right. Hear that... um, Motoko? We're leaving our friend in your care."

Motoko stood up straight and nodded, getting a slight blush across her cheeks. "Do not worry. I will make  
sure nothing happens to her, even if it costs my life."

Taichi laughed nervously. "You don't have to go that far... well, see you tomorrow Shinobu-chan!"

"Right! See you tomorrow."

Motoko relaxed as the two girls passed her by, smiling as she waved after them. Mitsune looked at her out  
of the corner of her eye and said under her breath, "Like I said, total sap..."

Shinobu set the sheet music on the piano, then stretched her fingers. "Tell me when I can start," she  
said.

Naru replied, "Anytime you're ready, Shinobu-chan."

That was all the prodding she needed; after a single deep breath Shinobu began to play. This time it was a  
boisterous, bouncy melody focusing on higher pitched keys. It was a joyfully vapid song, and it was  
masterfully executed... but the second Naru heard it her face fell. She had figured out what was so  
dreadfully wrong about her. "It was definitely her we heard in the hallway," Naru said with a touch of  
pity in her voice. "She plays very well for someone her age... she must be very talented."

"There may be a little talent, but it's backed up by a ton of hard work," Mitsune agreed. "She must have  
been practicing since she was really little, because she doesn't have that much natural talent. For  
instance, look at her hands... they're very small and cute, right? But when it's about the piano, big  
hands are better. They can reach keys easier, and there are some key combinations that are practically  
impossible to do with small hands. That's why I thought she wasn't the one we heard. But even if she  
is..."

Shinobu finished playing, taking a deep breath. She then turned to them with a smile on her face. "So?  
What do you think?"

Naru sucked in air, waffling, "Well... it's kinda... um... how can I put this...?"

Motoko interrupted with the subtlety of a bowling ball: "It's fake."

Shinobu blinked, her jaw dropping. "'Fake'?!"

Mitsune explained, "For once I agree with her. There's nothing wrong with your playing on a technical  
level... I didn't notice any mistakes, and your timing was spot on. But..."

Naru nodded. "You too, then? You didn't feel anything?"

Shinobu looked from one of them to another. "What? I don't understand... what are you talking about?"

Naru explained, "To put it simply... your heart isn't in this music. We heard what you were playing  
before... it was a lot better than this. I sort of thought this when we first came in, but after listening  
to that song I'm sure of it. Even though you smile like that... you're not happy at all, are you?"

Shinobu gasped, her eyes quivering. She stared at Naru in shock, unable to answer. Finally her face fell,  
and she lowered her head.

That was all the response Naru needed. She continued, "It's not hard to fake a smile. I know that. But  
no matter how good you are, you can't fool music. It's clear from the moment you start playing where your  
heart really is. If you try to play a song that your heart isn't in, it will come out sounding robotic  
and fake no matter how good you are." Naru leaned in closer to Shinobu. "Are you being forced to play?  
Do you... hate music?"

"NO!" Shinobu cried, raising her head again. Her shout was so sudden that Naru recoiled. "I love music!  
Music can do anything! If I play at the recital, my parents will come! They'll hear my song, and it will  
make them proud! They'll remember how close we all used to be! They'll stop fighting and get back  
together again, and then everyone will be happy!"

Naru blinked, her features softening. "Shinobu-chan... your parents are...?"

Shinobu shook her head, wiping her eyes with her hand. "Not yet, but maybe soon... please don't tell  
anyone. I don't want other people to know. If my friends find out, they'll get concerned."

Naru nodded. "If you think that's best... but why this song? If you don't want to play it, then..."

Shinobu stopped her with, "The recital is tomorrow. Even if I wanted to change the song, I couldn't. My  
teacher is expecting to hear this song, expecting me to make everyone feel good. I only want to make  
people happy with my music... no matter how well I play it, a sad song can't make anyone happy."

Shinobu smiled broadly, pumping her fists. "Don't worry, I can do it! If I can pretend to be happy, just  
for a little while, then everything will turn out okay!"

"That's not right!" Naru shouted back. "You shouldn't have to pretend anything! Just play what you want  
to play... don't worry about whether anyone else wants to hear it!"

Shinobu swallowed, stepping backward. "But..."

Mitsune put a hand on Naru's shoulder. "That's enough," she said to her. "There's nothing more you can  
say."

Naru tried to argue, "But-!"

Mitsune shook her head. "Sorry, Naru. I know this band is important to you, and I know you want to build  
it the way you want. But it's important to us, too... we should have some say in who we let in. She's  
just not the right person. Deep down, you know that too. Let's go."

Naru's face fell, making a small affirmative sound. Motoko sighed as she walked out of the room with Naru  
and Mitsune following close behind.

Mitsune stopped at the door and turned to Shinobu. "Wanting people to be happy... that's a noble goal.  
But there's something important I learned a long time ago. You can't make people happy by just pretending  
everything is okay. To make people happy, you have to be truly happy yourself. No amount of lies will ever  
be able to make that up."

"What?" Shinobu blinked. "What do you mean?" But before Mitsune could explain, she was gone.

Shinobu stared at the door, then sighed to herself. "I guess... I won't meet them again."

* * *

"It can't be helped," Mitsune said. "She's too young... even if she has talent, she doesn't understand  
what music's really about. She's no good."

Motoko kicked a small rock forcefully as she walked. "Damn it, and we came all this way..."

Naru took a look behind her, back at the school building. "I know how she feels," she said. "And... I  
want to help her..."

Mitsune shook her head. "We don't have that kind of time. We all want to get this band off the ground  
quickly, so we can't be wasting our time with some kid that doesn't even understand how to use the talent  
she's got."

Naru turned to face Mitsune. Her face was resolute and determined, eyes burning with passion. "But...  
that's not right! I can't just sit back and do nothing! Because... I've seen her smile before, on my own  
face!"

Mitsune stopped, turning to look at her. "Come again?"

Naru recovered her composure as she explained, "I used to think the same way she did... and not very long  
ago, either. When I started having doubts about being an idol, I pushed them down. I thought I'd be happy  
if I could make other people happy, as an idol. As long as I was making people happy, I thought that it  
didn't matter whether the image I put on was real or fake. But I was wrong... that path doesn't produce  
anything worthwhile. Just a lot of regret and music that has my voice but doesn't feel like mine. I  
don't want her to end up like I was. If that's all that comes out of the practice she put in... I'd feel  
sorry for her!"

Mitsune sighed. "You're a real pain when you get pumped up like this... so? What do you plan to do?"

Naru took a deep breath. "I'm going to that recital tomorrow. I don't know what I'll do, but I'll think  
of something. Maybe I'll get a lucky break. I'll bring that girl in as a member of our band... one that  
we can all be proud of!"

Motoko whistled. "Wow, what groundless confidence. I'm a little worried..."

Mitsune shook her head. "Just leave her alone. She's always like this." She looked at Naru and  
said, "Alright... but that's as long as I'm willing to wait for your selfishness. And while you're doing  
that, I'll be looking for other girls. It shouldn't take me too long to get a lead on a new member.  
Understand me, Naru?"

Naru nodded. "Don't worry. You won't regret it."

* * *

It was the day of the recital. Finally.

Shinobu was sitting in a small chair backstage, staring at the sheet music. Ever since the day before, she  
had not been able to forget those older girls that had come to visit her. She had played the conversation  
she had with them over and over in her mind, and every time she did so her resolve softened a little before  
she reaffirmed herself.

'You can't make people happy by just pretending everything is okay. To make people happy, you have to be  
truly happy yourself.'

"That's not true," Shinobu said to herself. "If I act like nothing is wrong, my friends are happier  
because they don't have to worry about me. Even if I'm not happy, I can ease other people's mind by  
appearing to be."

'Just play what you want... don't worry whether anyone else wants to hear it!'

"This is what I want to play. I can make people happy with this song by pretending to be happy. Making  
them happy makes me happy, so the lie will become the truth. That's fine, isn't it?"

'It's fake.'

Shinobu gasped as she remembered those words. She'd played this song hundreds of times, and no one ever  
said anything bad about it. But those people yesterday saw straight into her heart through that music.  
That bothered her. She didn't want to reveal what she really felt to anyone. 

She composed herself and shook her head. "Yes... they're musicians. It's no surprise they could see  
through my disguise. But those people in the hall... they're just parents. They won't be able to tell.  
I will be strong... and they won't see past my mask. I won't let them."

"Shinobu!" came the teacher's whisper. "It's almost your turn!"

"Right!" Shinobu half-gasped, startled out of her monologue. She took a deep breath, letting her smile  
settle into place. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, making sure her mask didn't have any  
cracks. Satisfied, she grabbed her sheet music and stood up. Time to make this work.

* * *

"Please welcome our final performer of the evening, Shinobu Maehara, who will be playing '_Touban Nisshii_'  
in C minor."

Shinobu slowly walked out from the curtains as the audience politely clapped for her. It was a standard  
auditorium, a grand piano set up in the middle of the raised stage. Ordinarily, playing in front of so many  
people would unnerve her. But right now there was something she needed to do. Her mind was focused only  
on that, and so unease never entered her mind.

Just a little bit more, she told herself. Just a little longer and everything would all work out. Smile  
just like that, and there won't be any need to fake it any longer. She sat at the bench and took a deep  
breath as the applause calmed down.

Shinobu stared at the sheet music, hands trembling. She was so close... all she had to do now was play the  
music that was written on the sheet, and everyone would be happy. Everything would go back to the way it  
used to be. Her eyes darted to the right, looking out at the audience discreetly. They were all waiting  
for her, waiting for her to make them happy. She couldn't let them down now, not after coming so far.

Shinobu suddenly froze, the smile vanishing from her face. As she glanced around the hall her eyes settled  
on two empty seats in the front row, the "reserved" signs still hanging on them.

'They... they're not here... they aren't coming.'

Why? She worked so hard for this night... she spent all her evenings getting ready, she gave up hanging  
out with her friends to practice, she even swallowed her pain for it. But they... her parents couldn't  
even be here? Not even one of them? That... that wasn't fair. A lump formed in her throat, and her  
shoulders started to shake.

Was that it? Was it all for nothing, then? All the pretending and the practice couldn't even make her  
happy? Then... just what was she hiding for, anyway? Was other people's happiness really so important?

'... To heck with it,' she thought bitterly, the sheet music crumpling in her hands. 'I'm sick of being  
cheerful when I feel like I want to cry, I'm sick of being tough, I'm sick of being dishonest all the time  
when it doesn't get me anything. I'm sick and tired of all of it. If I can't be happy...'

Shinobu tossed the sheet music to the side, letting the papers scatter across the stage. '... Then I won't  
let anyone else be happy, either!'

As the crowd gasped, Shinobu raised her hands high. She didn't need sheet music to play this piece. Her  
hands came crashing down, hitting the keys with dramatic gusto though the notes themselves were as soft as  
ever. She let it all out. The anger she felt toward her parents, the loneliness of keeping everything to  
herself, the sadness that came with a complete lack of control. She poured all of these feelings into the  
keys, letting her hands play a soulful requiem. She could not have stopped even if she wanted to; her hands  
had taken on a life of their own, playing as if possessed.

The music instructor, waiting in the wings, fumed, "What is that girl doing...?" He was about to step onto  
the stage to stop her, but an arm shot out in front of him. He turned to see a beautiful girl with brown  
hair staring out onto the stage. "Who are you? How did you get back here?"

Naru turned toward him, smiling sadly. "Can you hear it? This is what she's wanted to tell people, but  
was too afraid to say. These are... Shinobu-chan's true feelings." The instructor shot a pitied look at  
his student, who continued to play the dirge-like melody without stopping.

She hit the last keys, and Shinobu's head lowered as she gasped for air. There was no other sound in the  
hall, and in the stunned silence Shinobu returned to her senses.

She had really done it now. She had disappointed all these people, not to mention her music instructor.  
Worse, she had let out a piece of herself. She had let them see how she really was: not a strong and tough  
middle school girl that could keep her spirits up and bring cheer to everyone around her, but the saddened,  
hurt person that she really was. A lonely girl that lashed out at people with her music... how pitiful.

What? Why... why were they clapping? She hadn't played to make them feel better... she was trying to hurt  
them. She wanted to make them feel the pain and sadness she felt. So why...?

"They liked it, Shinobu-chan."

She stood up and whirled around quickly, seeing Naru step out onto the stage from the wings. Shinobu  
stood stock still, saying, "You... from the other day..."

Naru wiped her eyes dry as she said, "That was much better than what you played yesterday. It was very...  
real." 

Shinobu turned away from her, eyes watering. "But... why? Why would people like a song that makes them  
sad? I don't understand."

Naru explained as she walked up to her, "A musician has to put her true self forward in order to make  
something magnificent. When she does that, the audience recognizes her efforts and loves her for it.  
Sharing what you feel with others, trusting people enough to let them know what's really in your heart...  
that's what makes people truly happy. That's what music's really about."

Shinobu lowered her head, her shoulders heaving as her hair obscured her eyes from view. "So..." she said  
with her back still to Naru, beginning to choke up. "It was all for nothing. The hurting and the hiding...  
I was just being stupid. I'm so ashamed... I feel like I'm going to start crying any second."

"Then go ahead and cry. You can't worry about whether something like that bothers people. You shouldn't  
bottle those things up. Sometimes... it's okay to be a little selfish."

Shinobu shuddered, her face twisting from the exertion of trying to hold it in. Her teeth clenched as  
twin rivulets flowed down her cheeks. She whirled around, planting her face in between Naru's breasts as  
she started to bawl. Naru stumbled backwards slightly, surprised by the sudden movement. She stared at  
Shinobu for a moment, smiling sympathetically as she felt her shirt become wet. She then closed her eyes  
as she put her arms around Shinobu, gently hugging her.

Shinbou continued to cry into Naru's chest, scarcely hearing the crowd rise to give her a standing ovation.  
Women raised their handkerchiefs to their eyes while the men put on steely grimaces as they fought their own  
tears back. The thunderous applause continued, even though the person they were paying tribute to was no  
longer listening.

* * *

"WHAT?! You're quitting the music club?" Kaiho shouted.

Shinobu nodded, not losing her smile for a second. "Uh-huh! I talked it over with my mom and dad last  
night. The instructor is mad at me for not playing the right song at the recital anyway, so she won't  
care." The three had been walking to school when Shinobu decided to drop this little bomb on them, and  
they continued to argue as they strolled along the sidewalk.

Taichi argued, "But... but I thought you loved music!"

"I do!" Shinobu responded. "But... the teacher was always telling me what to play and when. I felt like I  
couldn't really play what was in my heart. She said that talent should be used to make people happy... I  
thought that meant that only playing happy music was worth playing. But, not anymore. I think it's better  
to play music that reflects your true feelings. If it's played well, even a sad song can make people happy."

"But still!" Taishi cried.

Kaiho continued, "That doesn't mean you have to give up music!"

"I never said I gave up music!" Shinobu responded happily. "You remember those people from yesterday?  
They may seem kinda weird, but they're really nice people who helped me out. I've decided that I'm going  
to help them. We're going to be in a band together!" She finished with an open-mouthed laugh as she turned  
and ran ahead of her friends, who could only stare in utter confusion.

As she continued with her laugh that was a little more genuine than it was the day before, Shinobu thought  
to herself, 'If I'm with people like them... will I be able to play a happy song for real?'

**_Shinobu Maehara - Keyboard_**

* * *

_time: The Terror of Expectation, Part 1_

* * *


	4. Fourth Show: The Terror of Expectation, ...

Author's Notes: This chapter introduces Su to the group. In changing the characters' history, I  
think Su underwent the most dramatic alteration in personality. This is probably going to lose me a  
few readers, and would probably earn me flames if Su were a more popular character. All I'm saying  
at this time is that Kaolla had to make a very important decision earlier in her life, and in this  
timeline she did things differently than she did in the manga and anime. 

Another point that I know someone will bring up if I don't explain here; I do not think Naru is  
stupid. However, she's definitely not as smart as Keitaro thinks she is. In the original canon,  
she had to work her butt off to become first in the class. In this story she did not have the  
incentive to work so hard, and on top of that she spent a lot of time away from school due to being  
an idol. In other words, she isn't nearly as bright or educated here as she is in canon.

This chapter also marks the beginning of the first two-parter in the fic's history. It couldn't be  
helped... the scenario took a lot of setting up, and I like to update within a reasonable period of  
time.

Cultural Notes  
'Go home' club: Refers to students who have no after-school activities and simply go home after  
classes end for the day.

Ayu: Ayumi Hamasaki, a very popular j-pop singer both in Japan and elsewhere. There are doubtlessly  
better singers in Japan, but I don't know singers very well and Naru's knowledge of music leans  
heavily toward modern pop anyway.

Conversion rate: For the purposes of this fic, 108.5 yen is the equivalent of 1 American dollar  
because that is what the exchange rate was when I wrote it. A quick 'n' dirty method of converting  
from yen to dollars is to chop off the last two zeros of the yen count. It'll be off a bit (especially  
for larger numbers), but it's a half-decent estimate.

Disclaimer: The characters in this story, save for a few minor characters, are property of Ken Akamatsu  
and are used without permission. Please do not sue me, I have no money.

* * *

**HINATA GIRLS**  
_Road to Stardom!_  
by TheArchimage

* * *

Motoko lounged in the living room of Hinata Inn, remote control in hand. She was wearing a dark gray  
bathrobe and using a folded towel as a pillow. She idly flipped through the channels, grimacing as  
Naru's face appeared on the screen. It was a news program, this one confirming that Naru had indeed  
disappeared from work and that her current location was unknown. "Naru-san is going to have the police  
looking for her at this rate..." she noted grimly as she changed the channel again. 

"Motoko-san?" Naru called down from the upper balcony as she toweled her hair dry. "I'm done with  
the bath."

Motoko craned her neck around to look at her. "Thank you. But why can't we use the hot spring? I  
think it would be very relaxing, and we wouldn't have to take turns."

The brown-haired girl replied, "Grannie doesn't want us in there. I think she needs to have someone  
take a look at it and make sure it's safe before she lets anyone in, or she might get sued."

Motoko somehow found that very strange. "By two girls that are sponging off her, one of whom can't  
afford a lawyer and the other of which is in hiding? Unlikely. But if that's what the landlady  
says, I guess it can't be helped." She looked back toward the television, pausing a moment before  
turning it off. "Naru-san," she said. "I am not sure it was such a good idea to allow Maehara-san  
to join the band."

The girl on the upper balcony tilted her head to the side. "Why not?"

Motoko explained, "Well, we can't exactly haul a grand piano around to every performance. Even I'm  
not that strong."

"It's not just piano," Naru explained. "Skills like hers have other uses, too."

"Oh!" Motoko realized. "You mean, like creating synthesized sounds and then altering their pitch  
with an electronic keyboard?"

Naru asked incredulously, "You know how to do that kind of stuff?"

"Um, no," Motoko said sheepishly, holding up her hands defensively. "I used to have a roommate that  
knew all about that kind of thing... she was a foreigner, but very knowledgeable about electronics  
and stuff like that."

That was enough to get Naru interested. She leaned forward on the banister, smiling. "I thought I  
would have to talk to Mitsune about finding someone like that. This is so lucky! So... was she any  
good at it?"

Motoko nodded. "Very. In my old band we had her manage the lights and special effects for one of  
our shows, and the crowd loved it. It was our best popular performance. She does like pyrotechnics  
a little too much, though. Route 5 decided not to use her past the one performance because our  
singer used a lot of hairspray and... well..."

The mental image Naru came up with forced her to cringe. "I see. Well, I still think it's worth a  
shot. I'll call Mitsune-san right now, and we can go tomorrow after you and Shinobu get out of  
school."

Motoko shot her a look. "Um, tomorrow?"

A pause. "Is... that a problem?"

Motoko shook her head and smiled. "No, it is no problem at all. She left me the address she was  
moving to, so please make the necessary arrangements with the others." She then picked up her towel  
and stood. "I am long overdue for a bath, so if you'll excuse me..."

* * *

-**Fourth Show**-  
The Terror of Expectation, Part 1

* * *

All the girls were walking down the street, taking up most of the sidewalk. It was a remarkably  
nice day, with only a few wispy clouds hovering in the blue sky. Shinobu swung her school bag back  
and forth energetically, smiling widely. "I've never been in the 'go home' club before," she gloated.  
"It feels like I have so much more free time now!" 

Mitsune rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. "What a kid..."

The youngest girl heard this and turned around to pout, "I can't help it, I am a kid! Try and be a  
little more understanding!"

Mitsune turned to Motoko, saying, "Still, I'm surprised Motoko knew a skilled technician. I guess  
you really never know what connections people have."

Motoko glared at her out of the corner of her eyes. "Just say it," she dared. "You think I'm a  
degenerate."

A lazy shrug revealed that she was not taking the threat seriously. "Well, you certainly look the  
part," she answered. "But I didn't say anything like that. I'm just commenting that you really  
can't tell what kind of people someone hangs out with." Motoko smoldered, but let the matter drop.

Naru remembered something just then. "Hey, Motoko... is this the roommate that left you in that  
huge, empty place all alone?"

Motoko nodded. "It is. She offered no real explanation, only that she couldn't afford the rent  
anymore. I wondered how she got money in the first place, but it's probably something similar to my  
situation."

Naru blinked in confusion. "Situation?"

Motoko clarified, "I look much older than I actually am, right? If I say I am in high school, no  
one will question it. It is the same with her; she looks and acts far older than she actually is.  
Anyway, she was fired from her old job and had to move in to a cheaper place."

Naru nodded. "I see..."

Mitsune stopped, turning to her left. She pulled a piece of paper out and referenced it. "It says  
this is the right address, but..."

Everyone understood what she meant. The building was a nightclub, and a fairly large one at that.  
An empty sign hung outside, waiting for some performer to stick their name on it and give life to  
the place. Two sets of double doors, covered with tacky decorations, served as the entrance. Just  
above it, in neon lights that were currently off, was written the name of the establishment:  
"Wonderland".

Naru winced. "How cheesy..."

Mitsune raised an eyebrow. "If you think it's cheesy, then it must be bad. More importantly, what  
do we do now? The roommate must have given Motoko the wrong address. How are we supposed to find her  
now?"

Shinobu craned her neck to the side. "It might still be the right place... look up there! There's  
an outside balcony on this side, and a bunch of doors leading into the building. Maybe she's living  
in one of those?

Mitsune shook her head. "No, that can't be. Those are just supply closets, if not an easy-access  
door to the lights. You can't let people live in there, it's probably illegal."

Motoko was not so sure about that. "It wouldn't stop her..."

"We'll just have to see for ourselves," said Naru. "Come on!"

* * *

The balcony was extremely thin, forcing all of them to walk in single-file. It was made of rickety  
wood, and creaked dangerously as the crew made their way across. Shinobu clung to Motoko with a  
death grip, looking fearfully at the ground over the railing. "This doesn't seem safe..." 

Naru knocked on one of the doors, listening after a moment. "Doesn't look like there's anyone in  
this one either..."

Motoko's head waved back and forth, as if dazed, and her smiling face had a slight blush. Her voice  
wavered in a sing-song tone as she replied, "Oh well... let's move on to the next one..."

"Don't get too close to her, Shinobu-chan," Mitsune warned. "That girl's kinda weird around kids..."  
Shinobu released her grip experimentally, and Motoko instantly reverted back to her normal stoic  
self as if nothing had happened. "See what I mean?"

Naru continued on to the next door, only vaguely aware of her band's conversation. "How about...  
this one?"

As Naru knocked on the door it slowly creaked open. It must not have been closed properly, she  
reasoned. The room was little better than a walk-in closet. The floor was almost completely  
covered in multi-colored wires running in one direction or another, as if someone had shredded a  
rainbow and made spaghetti out of it. A wooden bar hung along the right side of the room, just above  
head level. The far end of the room was taken up by two large speakers connected to electric  
equipment. A girl was sitting in front of this equipment with her back towards Naru, wearing large  
headphones and sitting on an orange crate. Other than said crate there was no furniture in the room.

"Motoko-san," Naru whispered. "Is that...?"

Motoko nodded, whispering in return, "Yes, no doubt about it. She's my old roommate."

The girl noticed that there was suddenly more light in the room and craned her neck to look over her  
shoulder. She was darkly tanned, with a small red dot in the middle of her forehead. Her hair was  
straw-blonde and completely out of control, sticking in almost every direction at once. Naru would  
have guessed that the two of them were the same age, but she remembered Motoko saying that this girl  
looked older than she was. The girl reached behind her head to pull her earphones down around her  
neck, revealing multiple silver studs on each ear. "Y'are?" she asked brusquely.

Naru stepped forward, not put off by her distant attitude. She was getting better at this! "Good  
morning! My name is Naru. I'm putting together a band, and your old roommate suggested I look you  
up."

"Who?" the girl asked as she hit a few buttons on the equipment without looking. She tilted her  
head to the side, then nodded as she got a glimpse of the girl in a gakuran. "Oh, hey Motoko.  
Didn't expect you to be hanging out with a bunch like this. You going straight on me?"

Motoko returned a thin smile. "Hardly. I'm skipping detention to be here."

Naru shot a look back at her. "Motoko-san, are you serious? You should have said something last  
night!"

Motoko shrugged. "It was my choice to come. Don't worry about it."

The blonde haired girl laughed out loud, removing the cord from her headphones as she did so.  
"That's just so like you! Should have figured you'd never change, Motoko-chan!"

Motoko's eyebrow twitched. "I told you a thousand times..."

"Yeah, yeah." The girl swiveled around to face them, sitting on the crate cross-legged. She was  
still wearing the headphones around her neck, although there was no longer a cord on them. "I guess  
if Motoko likes you, you're okay. Name's Kaolla Su. I wasn't really paying attention when you were  
introducing yourself, so would you mind running it past me again?"

Naru took a deep breath and repeated, "I'm Naru, and I'm trying to put together a band. I think we  
could really use your skills!"

Kaolla tilted her head to the side. "Naru, is it? Hold on a second." She turned back toward her  
equipment, rifling through a stack of compact discs on top of one of the units. After a moment she  
came out with one and held it up, comparing the image on the disc with Naru's face. "Well, hot  
damn," she said with only a hint of surprise. "Naru Narusegawa, in the flesh. You're a news item,  
you know that?"

Naru's smile became a little more strained. "Um, like I said, I really think we could use someone  
like you. So..."

"I'll have to pass," Kaolla said as tossed the disc to the side. "I'm busy enough as it is.  
Besides, I've heard your stuff on the radio." Her eyes narrowed as she finished, "You kinda suck."

Naru smile died instantly. She balled her hands into fists as she screamed, "What did you say! If  
you were a real musician, you should have been able to tell that it's the songs that were crap! Ayu  
herself couldn't have made them sound good!"

"Of course I knew that," Su smirked. "But even if it's the truth, it takes a poor artist to blame  
her songs."

"Irritating little..."

Motoko put her hand on Naru's shoulder. "Calm down. She lives to get on people's nerves." She  
then looked to Su and said, "And what do you mean, 'too busy'? If this is all your current job gets  
you for living space, it can't be that demanding."

"That's where you're wrong, Motoko. Look... the truth is, I'm kinda in trouble."

Shinobu blinked. "Trouble? Like what?"

Kaolla sucked in air between her teeth as she confessed, "I got hired to manage the lights for a  
show, but the equipment wasn't secured properly and fell. Luckily no one got hurt, but all the stuff  
got busted. Since I was supposed to be managing it, I have to pay back what broke even though it  
wasn't my fault."

Motoko asked, "How much do you owe?"

She bit her lip and looked away. After a brief pause she revealed, "... One million yen."

Several jaws dropped in unison. "Are you serious!"

Shinobu cried, "That's more than I've ever seen in my life!"

"You see? I know you don't have that much kicking around, so you might as well give up. Looks like  
I'll be here for a whole lot longer."

"Now hold on a minute!" Naru said. "So you're being forced to work here?"

Kaolla shrugged. "Nothing stopping me from leaving. But if I don't want the manager of the place  
to call the cops, I've got to pay off the debt somehow."

"Alright, next question. Motoko-san told me you looked older than you are... are you old enough to  
be working?"

The straw-haired girl stared at her for a long moment. "Not like it's any of your business," she  
said curtly. "But I'm fourteen."

Naru crossed her arms. "What they're doing is more illegal than what you did..."

Kaolla was starting to lose her temper. "And if the cops get called in, I'm going to be in more  
trouble than him!" She sighed as she looked at the ground. "... I'm an illegal alien. I'll get  
shipped back to my home country if the wrong people find out I'm living here. And I don't wanna go  
back there... if I go back now, everything will be a giant mess."

Motoko shook her head. "It looks like you're stuck, then."

Naru exploded, "Like heck she is! We can't just leave her here, that's child labor! Motoko-san,  
she was your roommate, right? Don't you care what happens to her?"

"Of course I do!" Motoko shouted back. "But what do you expect me to do? I don't have huge piles  
of cash just lying around. The only way I know to get that much money is through methods I'd rather  
not use and you'd rather not know about."

"Maybe you can't help her," Naru fumed. "But I sure as hell can. Su-chan! Bring me to the owner  
of this dump. I want to talk to him now! Right now!"

The tanned girl looked at her for a moment, then sighed. "It's not going to do any good, you know...  
but fine. Gimme a minute." She stretched her legs before dismounting from the orange crate.  
"Follow me."

As the girls fell in step behind her, Mitsune nudged Naru in the side, "Oh, I get it. You're just  
gonna use your idol millions to bust her out of this. A million yen sounds like a lot for normal  
people, but for you it's a drop in the bucket."

Naru shook her head as she explained, "Actually, it's all in trust funds and protected bank  
accounts... I can't touch a single yen until I turn 20."

Shinobu laughed nervously. "Then, what did you have in mind...?"

Naru smiled. "What else can I do? I guess... I'm just gonna have to sing."

* * *

The owner was a small, thin man named Ryuji Hayashi. He wore a white suit that was kept pristinely  
clean, and an unlit cigar hung from his mouth. He seemed about to light up, but blew out his match  
when he saw the girls approaching. Only Naru entered the room; when the others tried to follow her,  
she turned and stopped them. "You guys wait out here, and don't make a sound. I'll deal with this  
myself." 

Motoko shook her head. "I cannot allow that. She was my roommate at one time, I have to do my part  
to help."

Mitsune agreed, "Besides, are you sure you can handle this by yourself?"

Naru refused. "I've got to learn to do these things on my own, right? Just leave it to me!"

"There she goes again," Mitsune lamented. She knew better than to get in Naru's way when she was  
like this. "All right Naru, this one's your show. Just don't screw it up, okay?"

Naru nodded. "Just leave it to me!" She closed the office door behind her, and almost instantly  
the rest of the girls put their ears to the door to eavesdrop.

Shinobu asked, "Is she always like that?"

Mitsune sighed. "Girl, you have no idea..." She then directed her attention to the conversation on  
the other side of the door.

As Naru approached his oaken desk Hayashi gestured toward a chair. While his own throne was a  
leather recliner, the guest chairs were simple swiveling office chairs. "Sit down," he said in a  
gravelly tone. "Take a load off. Tell me what's on your mind."

Naru refused the seat, preferring to stand. "Kaolla Su-san. I want you to let her go."

Hayashi removed the cigar from his mouth, placing it on the table. He did this very deliberately,  
pronouncing the stillness of the air. "No can do," he said finally. "That girl owes me a lot of  
money. I have no intention of letting her off the hook, no matter who asks me."

"I know that. I'm not saying to do it for free... you let me sing on your stage, and all the  
proceeds from it will go off to paying Su's debt."

On the other side of the door, the girls gasped. "Say what!" Shinobu shouted, slapping a hand over  
her mouth to keep Naru and Hayashi from hearing her.

"That must be what she meant when she said she'd sing," Mitsune said. "I wonder if it'll go the way  
she plans, though..."

"That's fine," Hayashi responded to Naru's offer. "The performance fee is one hundred thousand yen."

Motoko's jaw dropped. "What! That's twice the usual rate in this area! He's trying to gyp her!  
I'm going to-"

Mitsune shot a look at her. "Naru told us to stay out of it," she said. Privately, though, she was  
very worried... was it really a good idea to let Naru go off on her own time and again? She was going  
to get taken for a ride, and it looked like it would happen sooner rather than later. "Let's just  
trust her for a little while longer..."

Naru blinked. "Performance... fee?"

"You don't know anything, do you?" Hayashi sighed as he explained, "Because letting one performer  
go on stage means not being able to have anyone else up there, you have to pay for the privilege of  
being able to perform. That's the performance fee. Any sales from the tickets go to paying off  
the fee first. If you don't cover the fee you don't earn anything, but any sales you make over the  
fee is profit. This way it's the artist that's under pressure to perform, not the establishment  
that's under pressure to find a good artist. Get it?"

Naru "oh"ed in response, blinking. She never knew that... the business side of things was always  
taken care of by her manager Kentaro. She had no idea how to do any of this stuff. Guess that  
blowhard actually did do something after all. "I don't have the money for that," Naru admitted.  
"But I'll be able to make up the difference for sure. I'll sing every night, until I earn as much  
money as it takes to get Kaolla-san out of here."

Hayashi smirked. "So you're willing to risk going into debt yourself to clear her debt?  
Interesting spirit... tell you what, she's more trouble than she's worth, so let's make a game out  
of this. I'll charge you twice the usual fee to play for one night..."

Motoko's brow furrowed, and flames began to dance in her eyes. "You mean four times, you bastard,"  
she seethed through clenched teeth.

He continued, "... and if you manage to break even, I'll cancel her whole debt. That means you only  
have to earn about 200,000 yen, instead of a million. Given this generosity, you can't hold it  
against me if I keep all of the profit..."

Naru nodded. She didn't really need the money, she just wanted Su.

"BUT!" He grinned as he revealed his sinister scheme, "If you fail to cover your costs, you'll join  
her in working for me. Not only will I make you cover whatever you failed to get, I'll add her debt  
on top of yours!"

Naru recoiled. "So... if we don't get anyone at all, that would mean that not only will Su still  
owe the million yen, but my own debt to you will be 1,200,000 yen!"

Shinobu covered her mouth with her hands. "That's so dirty!"

Motoko was gripping the doorframe so hard her knuckles were turning white. It was taking every ounce  
of her willpower to keep herself in check, and she mumbled, "You son of a..." under her breath.

'Back off, Naru,' Kitsune tried to warn her telepathically. 'This is too hot! There are other  
sound technicians that we won't have to go through this for. You just got your freedom... you can't  
risk losing it again so soon! Not to a place like this!'

"And if you lose I won't have you singing... a face like yours is too cute to waste by being so far  
away from the customers. But I bet lots of people would come to see such a cute waitress. You'll  
be waiting tables for me until you pay off every penny!"

Naru's eyebrow twitched. Her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched as she fumed, "So you'll just use  
my face? My looks? Is that all you think I'm good for?"

Mitsune winced. 'Crap, he found her weak spot!'

This was not lost on Hayashi, either. He grinned widely as he said, "Of course! Girls like you have  
probably never worked a day in your life... you coast by on your good looks and nothing else! But  
after you lose this bet, you'll see how cruel life can be!"

Naru pounded her fist on the desk, grinning sadistically. "In your dreams! You've got yourself a  
deal, mister! Don't come crying to me when you've lost!"

The owner pulled out a sheet of paper, doubtlessly a contract. Did he have this set up from the  
beginning? "Sign here," he commanded, which caused Naru to shrink back. "What's the matter?" he  
taunted. "Getting cold feet?"

Naru swallowed, then shook her head with a smirk. "N-No. I'll sign."

Mitsune slapped herself in the forehead. "Naru, you idiot..."

Shinobu tapped Mitsune's shoulder. "How do you think he'll react when he sees Naru's name on the  
contract? Do you think he'll make the connection?"

Mitsune had to think about that for a second. Then she grinned widely. 'Of course... if we tell  
people that the pop idol Naru Narusegawa will be singing here, we'll have the place packed in no  
time. Phew, that was a close one. I was worried for a second... I guess she's not as stupid as I  
thought.'

Naru picked up the pen and signed quickly. The owner picked up the agreement and scanned her  
signature. He then gave her a strange look. "Tohru Honda? Is that really your name?"

Naru shrugged apologetically. "I get that a lot. My parents weren't very imaginative..."

Mitsune made a face. "Eh?"

The owner sighed. "... Okay, fine. Your concert is tomorrow night, Honda-san. Hope you can fetch  
quite a crowd... or in two days, you'll be waiting tables with a smile."

Mitsune threw up her hands in exasperation. "I give up. She's insane. Certifiably, clinically  
insane."

Shinobu cringed. "Um... Naru-san's in trouble, isn't she...?"

* * *

"YOU DUMBASS!" 

Naru rubbed her ears. "Ow! You don't have to be so loud..." Everyone was standing just outside  
the front entrance of Wonderland, most of them looking at Naru with equal parts anger and pity.

Mitsune continued, "If I don't yell this loud you won't get the point. You've really stepped in it  
now, Naru! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've gotten yourself into? How the heck are you  
gonna sell 200,000 yen worth of tickets in a day!"

"It's not that hard. The tickets are 1,300 apiece, so we only have to sell..." Naru paused and  
scrunched up her face, counting on her fingers.

After a few moments, Mitsune sighed loudly. "One hundred fifty four, Naru. One hundred fifty four  
tickets."

Naru shot her a terrified look. "What? That many!"

"That's basic math!" Mitsune shouted. "How can you not know that?"

Motoko blinked. "Even so, to do it as fast as you Mitsune-san..."

Shinobu nodded, "That's pretty impressive..."

Naru lowered her head, pursing her lips. "I've never been good at schoolwork. I have to work twice  
as hard as everyone else just to keep up... so I never really bothered. It's not like I'm stupid..."

"But you are stupid!" Mitsune sighed. "Not only do you not know what you're getting into, but you  
insisted on doing this the hardest way possible! Why did you give him a fake name? If you used your  
real one, you'd have no problem filling the place up!"

Naru yelled back with force, "That's exactly why I didn't!"

Mitsune was taken aback by the ferocity of Naru's retort. "Say what?"

Naru took a deep breath to calm herself down. Then she explained, "I know it wouldn't be any trouble  
at all to get lots of people to come by saying, 'Naru Narusegawa is going to be singing there'. But  
I started this band to get away from that! That would be just clinging to my old life. Grandma  
Hina told me that I have to give up those privileges, that fame, if I want to start a real band. If  
I use my fame to get out of this, it's like telling myself I won't succeed before I even try!"

Mitsune scratched the back of her head as she commented, "You're saying your pride won't allow it,  
huh? Alright, but we could have gone up with you, you know. You don't have to take all of the risk  
by yourself."

"I kept you guys from going with me because I want you to listen, too. I've been going around  
talking you all into joining this band, but I haven't proven that I'm worthy to stand next to you  
guys yet! If you're up next to me you won't be able to hear me... you won't be able to judge for  
yourselves whether or not I'm good enough.

"I'll pay off the whole fee with just my talent and guts. If I can't do that, I'll never be a  
success!" She winked as she finished, "So just consider this my audition!"

Motoko sighed, crossing her arms. "I admire your spirit, but over a hundred and fifty tickets, in  
one day, to a no-name performer's debut... it's simply not possible! My old band, Route 5, wasn't  
able to sell even fifty tickets, and we had a week to advertise. You're too reckless, Naru!"

"Maybe so," Naru smirked. "But this is the best chance we have of freeing Kaolla-san. It's a risk  
I have to take!"

Mitsune shook her head. "You sure can be energetic when it's convenient for you..."

Shinobu pumped her fists as she offered, "If you don't want us to help you on stage, we still have  
to do something! We've only got until tomorrow night, so let us help in any way we can!"

Mitsune nodded. "That's right. You'd better spend your time practicing and leave advertising up to  
us."

Motoko agreed, "I have work tonight, so I'll spread the word around the club about your performance."

Mitsune cocked her eyebrow at this. "Promoting a rival establishment? You could get fired for that,  
you know."

"If I want to be serious about the band, I would have had to quit anyway. I get free room and board  
at that inn, so it's not like I need the money."

Mitsune sighed. "Free room and board, huh? Lucky you. Anyway, I'll hit my usual haunts and see  
what kind of word-of-mouth I can get going. Maybe I'll say a prayer or two as well."

Shinobu joined in, "I'll tell all my friends about it. Maybe if I get a big rumor started I can get  
the whole school to go!"

"Why are you doing this?"

The group turned to look behind them. Su was standing at the entrance, glowering at Naru. "Why are  
you getting involved in things that don't concern you?"

Naru replied, "I can't just leave you here. You deserve better than to work under a creep like that."

"I never said I'd join your band, you know. You're just a stranger to me. No matter what you do, I  
won't accept that I owe you anything."

Mitsune shouted back, "You ungrateful snot, Naru's risking a hell of lot for-"

"Mitsune-san, stop it." Naru held out a hand and looked back at her. "It's all right." She turned  
to Kaolla with a serious expression, saying, "I'm not going to insist you join our band after we  
free you. If I did that, I'd be no better than the jerk you're working for. I'm not going to make  
you feel guilty about it either; if you want to strike out on your again, that's fine. I didn't do  
this because I wanted you in our band. I'm doing this because I know what it's like to be a captive.  
I can't let someone live and work in a place they hate without doing anything about it. I don't  
like seeing people suffer the same why I did... that's all."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then a single snicker broke that silence as Kaolla  
covered her mouth with her hand. "Suffer like you did? Don't be so full of yourself. Eh, whatever.  
If you think you can free me, go ahead and try. If you want, you can come back tonight and watch me.  
You never know, Naru-san... you might pick up a few tips you can use for afterward."

"Like hell I'll be a waitress!" Naru shouted back. "Just you wait! I'll have this whole place packed  
tomorrow night!"

"You keep telling yourself that, Naru-san," Kaolla said as she turned her back and waved behind her.  
"It'll be nice working with you."

Naru shook her head. Man, what was that girl's problem...?

"... Naru-san," Motoko said suddenly. "I know Kaolla is disrespectful and... perhaps a little too  
cynical for her own good. But I wanted to say... I agree with you. People should be allowed to be  
free. I... really appreciate what you're doing for her, even if she doesn't."

Naru smiled back. "Of course! I'm not doing this to get a thank you out of her."

"Now that that's settled," Mitsune said. "We've got a lot of work to do. There's no time to lose,  
so let's get started. Meet everyone back here tomorrow, same time!"

"Right!" came the resounding chorus. The girls split up and went their separate ways, leaving Naru  
alone in front of the club.

She turned and looked at the sign in front of Wonderland, feeling a strange sort of satisfaction  
upon reading the words "New Artist Tomorrow Night!" written there. Tomorrow night, she would stand  
up on stage as a singer for the first time. She would show everyone the dream she had worked so hard  
on. The cheers wouldn't be for granted... they would be because she had given the audience a  
wonderful performance.

... If she COULD give a wonderful performance.

It suddenly felt like a fist closed over her chest for a moment, stealing her breath away. She put  
a hand to her chest and took several deep breaths, but she still felt her heart tighten and her  
pulse quicken. A nameless fear worked its way into her body, freezing her solid.

She hadn't noticed before, but she was shaking now. She continued to shiver as she asked herself,  
"What... what is this...?" She tasted metal in her mouth, and her stomach twitched. Her knees  
weakened, and she needed to put a hand on the wall in order to remain standing. She swallowed hard  
before saying to herself, "I'm... I'm going to be okay... right?"

* * *

_To be continued..._

* * *


	5. Fifth Show: The Terror of Expectation, P...

Author's Note: I've never revealed how long any of my stories are going to be, and for one  
simple reason; I don't know. With my other stories, however, it is because I know  
everything I want to do but don't know how long it will take me to do it all. In the case  
of Hinata Girls, it's because I keep getting ideas for new storylines, mini-arcs, and one-  
shots. I've opened up a real can of worms here; there's so many things I could do with this  
story setup, and I have no idea how I'm going to fit all of it in! Ah well... I guess that  
means there'll be new chapters waiting for you for a long time!

Also, I need everybody to stay hush-hush about this, but... one scene in this chapter  
includes song lyrics. Those have been recently banned by FFnet rules. It's only a short  
scene, though, and considering Naru is a singer I hope it's understandable in this case.  
Please don't report me! Anyway, this is the longest chapter yet, so I hope you all enjoy  
it!

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are the property of Ken Akamatsu, and are used  
without permission. Furthermore, although the lyrics to "Egao no Mirai e" have been  
translated by me personally I am not the original writer of the song. It was originally  
performed by Horie Yui, and is property of her recording studio, Star Child. The translation  
is probably very wrong because my Japanese sucks, so reprint and reuse them at your own  
peril! Please do not sue me, I have no money.

* * *

**HINATA GIRLS**  
_Road to Stardom!_  
by TheArchimage

* * *

Kaolla wore an apron over her loose-fitting clothes, sweeping the sidewalk in front of  
Wonderland. She was more heavily-dressed than most of the people lazily walking by on the  
sidewalks, but in comparison to her native country Japanese summers were frigid so she did  
not feel too hot. Every sweep of the broom kicked up a tiny cloud of dust, which would get  
blown back to its original position by a strong breeze every few moments.

Su's gaze was eventually drawn to the sign by the front door. Written there was the name  
"Tohru Honda", with a "One Night Only!" message hastily marked up in colored chalk. It  
looked cheap, but then everything about this place was cheap including the help. Su  
sighed as she propped her chin on the broom and leaned forward. "You're gonna free me,  
huh Naru-san?" she said to herself, remembering what the girl had told her the day before.  
"It won't be that easy. I've never been free. Not from the moment I was born..."

* * *

-**Fifth Show**-  
The Terror of Expectation, Part 2

* * *

_The lights snapped on with a loud clack, illuminating the stage as the crowd exploded in  
cheers. Naru squinted slightly at the sudden light, then looked out over the audience as  
her eyes adjusted. She was finally here! Now it was time for all her hard work and guts  
to pay off!_

"Thank you, everyone!" Naru greeted as she waved happily. "I'm so glad you all could come  
to my debut!" She was answered with a familiar roar of the crowd, causing her cheeks to  
redden slightly. "This is a song I wrote especially for you all, so please listen!"

With that, the music started to play. Naru listened carefully, setting the beat and pitch  
carefully in her mind. She opened her mouth and let the first words out...

No. Something was wrong. The notes were all off. Her voice sounded scratchy and worn,  
and her tone didn't match the music at all. She could hear the displeased murmurings of  
the crowd as she allowed her voice to trail off. As the music died suddenly she put a  
hand to her throat, scarcely believing what she just heard. This... that was her? That was  
her best?

The crowd started to thin out, shuffling out towards the exits in the back. Disgruntled  
mumbling could be heard as they turned their backs on her, their numbers dwindling by the  
moment. "Wait," she pleaded. "Wait, I wasn't ready that time. I can do better... come  
back! Please! I... I...!"

She awoke with a scream, sitting upright in her futon. Her covers were strewn wildly  
about, a mark of her poor sleeping habits. She was breathing heavily, the nightmare still  
fresh in her mind.

The door slid open forcefully as Motoko, dressed in her gakuran, forced her way into the  
room. "Naru-san! Are you all right?"

"Ah, Motoko-san!" Naru said. "Y... Yes, I'm fine. Just a bad dream."

Motoko breathed a sigh of relief. "That is good. I heard you scream, and thought  
something might be the matter. Um... I apologize for barging into your room so suddenly."

"No, don't apologize. It's okay." Naru looked out the window, noticing how bright it  
was outside. It must have been at least ten o' clock. What was Motoko still doing here?  
"But Motoko-san, shouldn't you be at school?"

Motoko smiled glumly. "I just got back from there, actually. Because I didn't show up  
for detention, they've suspended me for three days." She leaned against the doorframe,  
sighing. "They punished me for not being at school by not allowing me into school. That  
doesn't make the slightest bit of sense, don't you agree?"

Naru laughed nervously. Should she really be so blasé about getting suspended from school?  
But then, Motoko was a delinquent. School and things like that weren't much of a concern  
for someone like her. She kept forgetting that about her.

Motoko continued, "Well, I should let you get back to rest. You have a big performance  
tonight, after all."

The performance. Right. Naru felt her chest tighten at the sound of the word. She shook  
her head, "No, I think I'll get up. I don't think I can sleep much now, anyway..."

* * *

Mintai Middle School was as far from Kentaro's element as it got, and even being near the  
place caused him considerable stress. He wanted to loosen his tie, but he feared to take  
his hand too far away from his wallet lest he suddenly find it missing. He had opted to  
stay outside while his two hired detectives, Whatsisname and Somethingorother, searched the  
premises.

Speaking of whom, it seemed their investigation was finished. They were walking toward  
him, trading notes about what they had found out. Kentaro sighed, "So why have you two  
dragged me to this hellhole?"

They helpfully replied, "They're saying a girl who looked a lot like Naru-san showed up  
here a few days ago. She came into the place after classes let out."

Kentaro brushed a piece of imaginary dust off his suit as he gave a disgusted look at the  
building. "There's no way Naru-san would hang out in this dump. You must be mistaken."

"We're not!" said the fat one. "I've just finished interviewing people... they say that the  
girl identified herself as Naru. Furthermore, they say that she left with another  
student... a person they call 'Samurai'."

Kentaro looked at him questionably. "What good does a nickname do us?"

The thin one opened up a notebook and skimmed through it, clearing his throat when he  
found the right page. "Let's see... 'Samurai'. Real name Motoko Aoyama, formerly a drummer  
for the local band 'Route 5'. Route 5 has kind of a nasty reputation in these areas... the  
rumors go that they're a bunch of thugs and sadists. As for Samurai herself, she's  
considered one of the most feared people in the school; no one has ever seen her lose a  
fight, regardless of the odds."

Kentaro scowled deeply. "If that idiot girl has gotten herself into trouble, I'll kill her  
myself. We had better hurry up and find this Aoyama, and for her sake she better not have  
done anything to my star."

"That might prove difficult. It says here that Aoyama-san was recently evicted from her  
apartment for failing to pay rent. Also, she won't be in school for a few days... she was  
suspended for repeatedly failing to show up for detention."

"Useless," Kentaro sneered. "What good is a lead that's vanished into thin air?"

"We're as discouraged as you are, sir," the fat one said. "It isn't easy chasing after  
someone that's trying to not be found..."

There was the ring of a cell phone suddenly, and the thin one answered it. Following a  
brief conversation he thanked the person on the other end and hung up. "We found another  
lead... a couple of days ago an unidentified girl walked onstage during a recital at Seiren  
Middle School. The description sounds like our runaway idol."

Kentaro's eyes narrowed as he put a hand to his chin in thought. "First a bar, then a  
middle school, and now a recital. Naru, what in the world are you doing?"

* * *

Motoko was waiting just outside Wonderland when Mitsune and Shinobu showed up. Shinobu  
waved broadly to Motoko, who smiled lopsidedly as she waved back. Mitsune sighed as she  
approached, "Geez, you don't have to melt like that over a wave..."

"I am not melting," Motoko protested, dropping the smile. "I was just being friendly,  
that's all."

Mitsune rolled her eyes. "I'll bet. I suppose our would-be starlet is already inside."

Motoko nodded. "She said she wanted to get a feel for the stage before she went up. She  
seemed a little nervous, but I trust she has her own ways to deal with that."

Mitsune grimaced. 'If she's already getting nervous, then maybe it's... well, I hope that's  
not the case. It would be very bad for her if it was.' 

"So, now that we're all here... how did it go? The blitz advertising rush?"

Shinobu shrunk back a little. "Um... I don't know. I tried telling people about it, but  
then Kaiho-chan offered to help and ran off yelling. She gets so worked up over things  
like this, so I don't know how it will all turn out." She then looked to Motoko. "And?  
How about you, Motoko-san?"

Motoko grinned sheepishly. "I did a little too well. The entire club was talking about  
it, and they traced it back to me. I go back next week to pick up my last paycheck."

Mitsune just sighed and said, "I warned you that that might happen..."

Motoko shrugged. "I was aware of the risk before I started. I have no regrets. While  
we're on the subject, how well did your advertisement go?"

Mitsune shook her head. "I don't know... sure I talked about it at a bunch of watering  
holes, but I didn't stick around at any of the places to see how well it went over."

Shinobu swallowed. "So... we've all done everything we can. The rest is up to Naru-san."

"You could say the real battle is already over," Mitsune said. "If not enough people show  
up it doesn't matter how well Naru does; she'll still be toast. But what you said is  
still partially true... if she does so poorly that the audience starts demanding refunds,  
then all our work will have been for nothing."

Motoko gave her a harsh glare. "That's not a very funny joke! She is an idol, she has to  
have at least rudimentary voice lessons. ... Right?"

Mitsune raised an eyebrow. "Have you heard her idol stuff? It's bland, tasteless mush a  
third grader could sing. She got hired for her looks, not her talent. Her producer must  
have not wanted to spend time and money cultivating what might not have been there to  
begin with."

Motoko's jaw dropped in astonishment. "Unbelievable... then why did Naru agree to such a  
reckless proposal? If something goes wrong, she'll owe the manager of this dump over a  
million yen. She'll never pay off that much money waiting tables!"

Mitsune smirked. "That recklessness is part of what makes her who she is. She's got guts,  
that kid."

She finished to herself, 'I just hope those guts are enough to carry her through...'

* * *

Only ten minutes to showtime. Naru peeked out at the crowd from behind the curtains,  
watching as the number of heads grew larger and larger. The place was really starting to  
fill up. Oddly enough, she wasn't really concerned with whether it would be enough to pay  
off the performance fee. She counseled herself, 'Deep breaths, deep breaths. You've gone  
out in front of crowds a hundred times before. The only thing different is that these  
people aren't here just to see you. They're here to listen, to be entertained. They're  
here for a musician... so you'd better deliver.'

She felt her chest tighten again, and her breaths became more shallow. She couldn't stop  
shaking. This was like yesterday... no, it was far worse than yesterday. She peeked out at  
the crowd, tasting metal in her mouth. Her legs were rooted to the spot, but she felt like  
she wanted to run away and hide.

What the heck was wrong with her! She used to love getting up in front of the crowd... it  
was one of the few parts of being an idol she actually liked! This was what she wanted,  
right? This was what she'd been dreaming about, right? So why was her heart clenching up  
like this? She had to calm down. She had to get herself under control somehow. If she  
went out like this, how could she give the audience a good show?

How... _could_ she give the audience a good show?

She realized with dread what her problem was. She had come this far on the assumption that  
she had the talent to make it as a singer, but she had never actually tested it. What if  
she was wrong? What if she had never had talent all along? Is that why Kentaro stressed  
her beauty so much? Did he know that this is what would happen?

Maybe... maybe she really was no good. Maybe she had been an awful singer all along. Is  
that what she would find out here, tonight? With so much on the line? She must have  
sounded so arrogant, telling those girls that her band was going to be the greatest in  
Japan. And now... she might not even be able to deliver?

Five minutes to showtime.

Her entire body felt cold. She trudged to her place like a machine, waiting for the cue  
to go on stage. Just a few feet away, a receptive audience was awaiting the birth of a new  
singing sensation. But in her heart, Naru had already decided.

'I can't do this.'

* * *

"Wow," Shinobu cried. "There's so many people here!" She stood up on tiptoe to wave to  
her friend Kaiho, who waved back over the sea of people. "I'm going to have to thank  
Kaiho-chan and Taishi-chan... they really helped out!"

Motoko eyed the crowd strangely. "Middle schoolers, thugs, and lounge lizards all in one  
place... I'm surprised they're getting along so well."

"Probably out of respect for the people who told them about this show," Mitsune said. "I  
don't know about Shinobu, but you and me have an awful lot of clout in our respective  
circles."

Motoko raised an eyebrow. "I would not be too sure of that. I never asked for anyone to  
look up to me."

"That doesn't mean they don't." She looked up as the lights started to dim, eliciting a  
response from the crowd. "Right on time," she said. "Now, let's see what our idiot pop  
star can really do."

The stage lit up in a bright light, and several audience members began clapping as a lone  
figure stepped out from backstage. Naru stepped lightly to the center of the stage,  
looking out timidly as her legs shuddered. A few confused murmurs emitted from the crowd,  
accompanied by a few whistles. Apparently, some people thought she was cute. Naru did not  
appear to have heard them; she simply continued to glance anxiously around the room.

Shinobu cringed. "Naru-san... she looks pale..."

Motoko nodded in agreement. "This is not good. Is she going to be alright?"

Mitsune made a face like she had just taken a physical blow to the stomach. "I was worried  
about this," she lamented. "Whenever she went up on stage before, it was as an idol. She  
wasn't expected to do much, just show up and look pretty. Her fans weren't interested in  
her singing, they just wanted to see her. She could screw up royal and they'd still cheer  
for her. No matter how many people were there, there was no pressure.

"But now that situation's changed. She doesn't know herself how good she is, and this  
crowd sure as hell isn't going to be supportive of her just for being her. They're all  
waiting for her to show them what she's made of, and she knows it. Failure is a real  
possibility, and she can't shake those feelings of 'what if?'."

"Stage fright?" Motoko asked incredulously. "Naru-san?"

Mitsune had not taken her eyes off the shaking, timid girl onstage. "It's hard to believe,  
isn't it?" she asked, although there was more bleakness in her tone than wonder. "The idol  
that stood before thousands without breaking a sweat is scared to death of this crowd of  
dozens. All because this crowd is anticipating the kind of talent she has. What Naru is  
experiencing right now... is the terror of expectation."

* * *

The cheers of the crowd died down, and in their place an oppressive silence moved in. The  
hand with the microphone shook uncontrollably, her legs felt like lead weights, and her head  
was so light she felt like she was going to faint any moment. 

'I... I can't breathe...'

Naru squeezed her eyes shut, feeling sweat form on her brow. 'They're watching me... waiting  
for me. They know it... they can feel it...'

She swallowed hard and felt her knees weaken. 'They know I'm going to screw up. I know  
I'm going to screw up. Everything is going to be ruined. I'll never be a singer, I'll  
never have a band. I'm going to let them all down!' She gritted her teeth and shut her  
eyes tight. Her throat constricted, and it felt like her cheeks were on fire. 'Dammit!  
I really do suck!'

"GO FOR IT!"

Her eyes shot open as she looked out across the crowd. Who was that?

Towards the back of the room, Shinobu was yelling at the stage with her hands cupped  
around her mouth. "Don't give up! This isn't the time to be afraid!"

"That's right!" Motoko shouted out next to her. "What happened to the girl that was willing  
to bet everything on her talent and guts?"

"Hey!" Mitsune joined in. "What are you so scared of, anyway? This is your stage!" The  
crowded murmured as they looked at the the girls, bewildered as to what was going on.

Naru came to a realization. 'They all... they're supporting me. They all have faith in me,  
even if I don't have any myself. But more importantly...

'They're right,' Naru thought to herself, gripping the microphone tightly as the music  
started up. 'I don't have time to be afraid. I'm standing in front of the world, ready  
to show it what I'm made of... isn't that what I wanted all along? Maybe I'm not a good  
singer, but I started down this road to find that out. I'll make it as far as I can with  
just my talent and guts... I won't regret anything, even if it should all end on this very  
stage!'

She took a deep breath, feeling her courage return to her. "Everyone!" she shouted into  
the mike with a smile, killing all casual conversation. "Thank you all for coming to my  
first concert ever! I'm going to give it my best, so please listen!"

And with that she began.

* * *

Su was in the middle of delivering a tray of drinks as the music started up. The minute  
the first notes reached her ears, she stopped. That intro... it didn't sound like anything  
from any of her albums. It didn't sound familiar at all. Did that mean... this was going  
to be an original song? She looked to the stage, tense at the thought of what Naru would  
reveal.

And then, she knew.

_"Never giving up, you face tomorrow,  
Cutting through the wind, dashing further!  
Live every day with no regrets in your heart.  
Do your best, and a future of smiles will be granted to you!"_

Su watched the girl on stage, enraptured. This... this wasn't that bland singer from the  
idol singles at all. Rather than bubblegum vocals and forgettable lyrics, this was truly  
stunning; her voice rang out with steadfast hope, the rhythm bounced along with indomitable  
cheer. The emotions themselves hadn't changed from her previous songs, but they were no  
longer steeped in corporate sterility; the words had power and conviction behind them, and  
the melody of her voice drove it all home.

The pop idol Naru could never have produced something like this, she realized. But the  
person on stage wasn't Naru the pop idol. Naru the singer had been born.

"Boss!" Su shouted suddenly, putting her tray of drinks down on the counter. "I'm going on  
break!"

The manager, Hayashi, shook his head. He knew exactly what she intended. "You're not going  
to make it. By the time you run all the way around outside and back up, the song will be  
over."

Su snickered as she slipped out of her shoes and started removing her socks. "That's why  
I'm taking the shortcut."

Hayashi panicked in response, "Hey, hold on! If you break anything else...!"

"It's okay," Kaolla said, crouching down like she getting ready for the 100-meter dash.  
"If that crazy girl up there brought 154 people, my debt's cancelled, right? So it doesn't  
matter if I make it bigger now!" She broke into a run, heading right toward the wall just  
by the entrance.

_"You walk timidly on a smoky path.  
You get lost, you trip..."_

Su's body went horizontal just before hitting the wall, and in defiance of gravity started  
running straight up it. Once she was about three meters off the ground she pushed hard  
with her legs, sailing high into the air. She grabbed a hanging decoration and swung on it  
like a rope, depositing herself on the scaffolding for the lights. She immediately went to  
work, making minor adjustments on one of the colored lights before bounding the next one.  
She leapt and swung along the tiny ledges, moving with grace, fluidity, and confidence.

_"You wiped the pain on your muddy chest,  
Biting down on your lips, in pain."  
_   
"Geez, slow down," she said quietly to Naru even though there wasn't a chance the singer  
heard her. "I gotta have this ready by the chorus... got it!" Her work for the cameras  
completed, she bounded over to the switchboard hanging on the far wall. She looked down,  
not from fear of falling but idly wondering whether anyone noticed her up here. Good, they  
were all too focused on Naru to notice the girl leaping along the rafters. Usually at  
least one or two people would notice when she used the "shortcut", but it seemed that Naru  
was so captivating none dared to look away. Naru, for her part, was swaying in time with  
the beat and making small movements to accentuate the lyrics.

_"Reality can be very cruel, but  
A wonderful dream has lived for this long... don't let it fade away!"_

As the music reached a crescendo, Su pulled a few of the switches. The lights she had been  
messing with turned on and began panning back and forth at varying speeds. A rainbow of  
tiny spotlights danced along the stage, lending the stage an otherworldly atmosphere. Naru,  
in true showman's fashion, didn't even flinch. She was probably used to lights, sounds, and  
other effects in her shows, so Su didn't think she would be bothered by them. Indeed, Naru  
seemed instead to be bolstered by them, the familiarity of the lights calming her and adding  
even more spring to her step. The earlier hints of nervousness had been completely dispelled.

_"Never giving up, you face tomorrow,  
Cutting through the wind, dashing further!"  
_   
Su snapped her fingers as she remembered something. "Oh yeah, there was that great effect  
I set up for a while ago but never got to use... I wonder if the boss took it out yet. Let's  
see, which switch was it...?" Her fingers danced over the switchboard as Su licked her lips  
in anticipation. "I think... it's this one... no, that switch broke a while ago. Then, this  
one? No, I set that one off a week ago..."

_"Even with all your scars, you take flight with your tiny wings,  
And head for the vast open sky. Can't you see? It's you that I love!"  
_   
"Ah, screw it!" said Su as she ran her hand down the board, flicking all the switches. The  
stage exploded in multiple jets of sparks as the song finished, sending a loud boom  
throughout the club and making Naru very thankful she decided not to use hairspray. The  
crowd erupted in cheers and claps, and not just a few gasps of appreciation.

Naru basked in the glow of adoration while Su looked on from the top. "So she gets all the  
credit, huh?" she said to herself as she sat down. "Well, that's okay. I wasn't expecting  
a congratulations or anything." 

She leaned back a little as she thought, 'Look at her... now she's all smiles. She must  
really love singing. She seems so relaxed and free now.' She sighed as she thought to  
herself, 'Free... must be nice...'

* * *

"That was so incredible!" Naru gushed. "Standing up there with everyone watching me,  
getting the chance to sing to my heart's content, knowing they were cheering because they  
liked my song... it was even better than I thought it would be! I loved it! And it's all  
thanks to all of you!" She was backstage now, sitting in a chair with Motoko and Mitsune  
standing over her. Shinobu was busy counting the money from ticket sales, and Su was  
glaring at them from her seat on an orange crate in the opposite corner of the room.

Motoko agreed, "That was very impressive, Naru. If your old manager had heard you, I wager  
he'd be kicking himself for letting such talent get away from him!"

Naru looked down at the ground, getting slightly red in the cheeks. "What? You really  
think so?"

"Hey," Mitsune said as she nudged her in the side. "Where's this modesty coming from?  
Your ego might be a little tough to deal with, but you aren't the same without it."

Naru shook her head. "It was your words of support that snapped me out of my funk... I'd  
hate to think what would have happened without you guys. And don't ignore Su-chan, either!  
She really outdid herself with the lights and special effects! Although I do wish she would  
have warned me before trying to blow me up..."

Su hid her face from them as she defended herself, "Hey, don't get the wrong idea! Nobody  
was working lights, and it offended my sense of taste to see a singer person prancing around  
on stage without anything to punch it up. And don't get on my case about the pyrotechnics...  
the crowd loved it, right?"

Everyone heard Shinobu gasp as she finished her tally. They all looked toward her  
expectantly as Mitsune asked, "So, Shinobu? What's the take?"

Shinobu looked up from the pile slowly. Her lips were trembling, her eyes watering as she  
said slowly, "... One hundred... ninety-one thousand... one hundred yen."

Naru stared straight at her, unmoving. Her gaze slid to the stacks of bills and coins on  
the table as her shoulders sagged under a new, oppressive weight. "You... you've gotta be  
kidding..."

Mitsune's face fell as her fist clenched. "We needed a hundred fifty-four... we got a hundred  
forty-seven... Dammit! We were so close!"

Hayashi blew some cigar smoke in the air as he entered the room. He said, "Say whatever  
you want... I'm a man of my word. I have every intention of following through with the  
agreement."

Motoko strode up to him, fuming, and grabbed him by the collar. "You bastard!" she screamed.  
"That was a rotten deal and you know it! I'm gonna-!"

Hayashi glared at her, unamused. "Let go of me and do your job properly." The owner held  
up a small stack of bills and tossed it on the table. "You missed this one. Add it up."

Shinobu looked at the small stack of bills, swallowing hard. She picked them up and leafed  
through them, counting them to herself. Everyone leaned in close, waiting with bated breath.  
Even Su was watching her closely.

She stopped. Her hands shook. And then, Shinobu could scarcely contain her excitement as  
she rattled off, "Two hundred... seven thousand... five hundred yen!"

Naru's jaw dropped. "That... that means...!"

"Like I said," the owner grumbled. "I'm a man of my word. You hear that, you little  
troublemaker? She won, your debt's cancelled. That means you're fired. Pack your stuff  
and get out of my club."

Su huffed as she stood up from her seat. "And not a moment too soon. Another day in that  
sardine can and I'd have gone nuts. Good riddance!" And with that she briskly marched out  
of the room to collect her things.

"That goes for you too," Hayashi aimed at the girls. "Get the heck out of here. If I never  
see you people again it'll be too soon."

"Too bad for him," Naru whispered to Motoko as she turned her back. "I'm sure of it now...  
we're going to be the greatest band in Japan! He won't be able to walk down the street  
without seeing us!"

"That's very nice," Motoko replied, humoring her for the moment. "We've done our part, now  
let us leave. I do not wish to spend another moment here... that Ryuji Hayashi guy pisses me  
off."

With that the girls quickly made their exit, Shinobu bowing to Hayashi as she left. Mitsune  
was the last to make her way to the door. She stopped in the middle of the doorway as  
something occurred to her. She turned around to face Hayashi and knocked on the door to  
get his attention. "Hey, old man. I didn't remember asking you to go easy on us."

Hayashi raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? I lived up to my end of the  
agreement, that's all. You got what you wanted, so get out of here already. And if you  
know what's good for you, you won't come back."

Mitsune smirked. "I might not look it, but I'm pretty good at math. 1300 doesn't go into  
207,500 evenly. Selling tickets never should have given us a figure like that. That last  
stack... we didn't earn that, did we?"

The owner puffed on his cigar, shaking his head. "Dumb girl. Just because you get them  
here doesn't mean you can't make any more money from them. Part of the profit this place  
makes is from selling drinks, and more customers means more people forking over their cash  
for refreshments. You brought the people in, so some of that profit counted towards how  
much you earned tonight."

Mitsune wasn't buying it. "You and I both know that's not how it works."

Hayashi looked at her out of the corner of his eye, not saying anything for a moment.  
Finally he sighed as he turned his back. "... Guess I've got a soft spot for pretty faces  
after all."

Mitsune smiled. "That girl will kick your ass if she finds out you let her off easy because  
of that. Not saying she'll find out... that's just what would happen."

"I wasn't talking about Honda-san," he clarified. "This is no place a young girl. That  
foreigner is brash, mean, and a financial sinkhole, but... well, you know."

Mitsune nodded. "Yeah, take care of her. I gotcha. Well, I've got to help a selfish,  
nauseatingly optimistic singer finish up her band. See you around, mister."

"Yeah, yeah. Get outta here before I change my mind."

Mitsune waved once as she followed the rest of her band. Hayashi stared at the door after  
her for a short while before sighing to himself. "Tohru Honda, huh...?"

Hayashi chuckled a little bit as he pulled out that morning's newspaper. He glanced over  
the front page, shaking his head. In bold lettering at the top of the page was the phrase,  
"Idol Goes Missing?". Immediately under this was the subheading, "Narusegawa fails to  
appear at press conference". And just under that was a clear color photograph of the idol  
herself, Naru Narusegawa.

He looked out the door with a knowing smile. "Don't take the music world lightly, kid. It  
takes more than just talent and guts to survive out there."

* * *

The group walked along the street, the road brightly lit by the street lamps. Shinobu  
sidled her way up to Naru and asked, "Naru-sempai, that song back there... did you write it  
yourself?"

Naru rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed, as she responded, "Yeah, it was something I  
wrote a while back... I figured no one would be impressed if I sang one of my idol songs,  
and I wanted to make a good impression... sorry if it was kinda lame..."

"No! It was incredible!" Shinobu encouraged. "Hey, who were you thinking about when you  
wrote it? Who's 'the person you love'?"

Naru smiled. "Of course. Myself!"

Motoko choked down a bit of bile as she glared disgustedly at Naru. "A narcissist... I had a  
suspicion, but..."

"Not like that!" Naru clarified. "To be honest, it's sort of a letter to my future self.  
Doing what I love and having fun doing it... that's the kind of person I wish I could be!  
No matter what happens, I keep looking to that vision to keep me on track. Someday, I'll  
make that dream come true, and I'll become the person I like so much. 'Wait for me... don't  
give up... don't disappear'... that was the message I was trying to tell myself when I wrote  
that song."

Mitsune sighed wistfully, "A dream of the future, huh? How nice... just be careful, Naru.  
Dreams for the future have a nasty habit of going sour."

Naru blinked. "What do you mean by-"

"Take responsibility."

The girls stopped and looked behind them, toward the voice that had interrupted them. Su  
was standing there, glowering at Naru. She was wearing a backpack, overstuffed with  
clothing and with a wooden bar sticking out of the back. "Take responsibility," she  
repeated.

Naru blinked. "Responsibility? For what?"

Su huffed angrily, "What do you think? I never asked you to butt in. Now I don't have a  
job or a home anymore. You can't just walk away from a girl who has to live on the streets,  
especially when it's your fault."

Naru waffled, "Well, I just thought..."

"Save it. I don't want to hear your excuses. I want to know what you plan to do about  
this."

Mitsune blinked as she caught onto the game, smirking. "She's right, Naru. You went all  
gung-ho again and made a really big problem for her. You might be safe to pursue your  
band, since you live in that run-down inn free of charge, but other people aren't so lucky.  
Geez, sometimes you can be really..."

"... That's right, you do have a band, don't you?" Su stepped forward with resolve,  
announcing, "Then I'm forcing my way in. It's not enough to forgive you, but it's the  
least you can do for all the trouble you've caused me. I won't let you say 'no'."

Motoko snickered, "Why can't you just be honest for once, Su?"

"W-What are you talking about?" Su retorted, her cheeks becoming slightly red. "I'm always  
honest."

"Well, I'll be honest with you," Mitsune laughed. "I think you just made a mistake... our  
singer's all excited again."

Naru beamed at Kaolla, happy tears forming in her eyes. Su blinked, startled out of her  
defiant stance. She backed up slightly, looking like cornered prey. "Wh-What's that look  
for?"

Naru leapt at the young girl and engaged her in a massive bear hug, causing the younger girl  
to shriek. Naru laughed joyously as sher lifted Su straight off her feet and started to  
spin in place. Su struggled to pull herself free to no avail, screaming, "Ah, what's with  
you? Stop that! Let go! Someone get this psycho off me! I said let go!"

Motoko sighed deeply. "Where does she get all that energy...?"

Shinobu said, "Well, at least we have a new band member now. Speaking of that, Mitsune-san,  
how big is this band going to get?"

Mitsune shrugged. "Who knows? I guess... I'll leave that up to our lead singer."

Just a few feet away, in the light of the street lamps, Naru was spinning no less vigorously  
then before. Su hung limply in her arms, protesting, "Please... stop... gonna hurl..."

* * *

Naru bowed low, pleading, "Well, she just got kicked out of her place and she doesn't have  
anywhere else to go... I figured, since you still have plenty of empty rooms..."

Grandma Hina looked from the idol singer to the foreigner, sighing deeply. She then sipped  
her tea in an attempt to restore her peace of mind. This attempt failed. "Naru..." she said,  
a vein on her forehead bulging despite her calm tone. "You are taking advantage of my  
kindness..."

**_Naru Narusegawa – Lead Vocals  
Kaolla Su – Synth, Set, Lights_**

* * *

_Next time: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Turtle?_

* * *


	6. Sixth Show:Crouching Tiger,Hidden Turtle

Author's Notes: I may be one of the few people who likes Naru more than Mutsumi. Mutsumi was  
never a very interesting character to me; she was always too manufactured, too perfectly crafted  
as a love rival to really appeal to me. However, try as I might, I just didn't have the heart to  
make any major changes to her personality. Besides, I mucked up Su badly enough that the other  
characters should be able to enjoy a little insurance.

By the way, I profusely apologize for how late this chapter is. I've been dealing with a lot of  
stuff, between jobs and schoolwork and moving out of my parent's house... it was hard to find  
time to sit down and write! Forgive me? Please?

Cultural Notes:  
Title: The phrase "crouching tiger, hidden dragon" refers to a saying that means "the best  
fighters are usually hidden". I thought it was an apt turn-of-phrase, considering the events of  
the chapter. You'll see what I mean.

The proverb Mutsumi uses incorrectly means, "Stakes that stick out get pounded back into the  
ground". It means that people who are exceptionally talented need to get a taste of humility  
every so often.

In Japan, college is very undemanding of its students. The workload is lighter and the classes  
are much easier than during high school. Once a student gets into a prestigious college they are  
pretty much set for life. For this reason college is sometimes called "the childhood  
of the Japanese".

Disclaimer: The characters in this story are property of Ken Akamatsu, and are used without  
permission. Please do not sue me, I have no money.

* * *

**HINATA GIRLS**  
_Road to Stardom!_  
by TheArchimage

* * *

_The girl stood at the bottom of the steps, looking out over the empty courtyard. The setting sun  
caused long shadows to stretch from the trees and covered everything in an orange tint._

_It was a ritual of sorts. For the past three years she would wait here on this day. She would  
look out at the crowd wide-eyed, bobbing her head this way and that to see through the throng.  
But she would not leave that spot. This year, as with the past two, she watched and waited long  
after the crowd had dispersed._

_A bell, hanging high from the building which the girl stood in front of, rang seven times to  
indicate the hour. She sighed sadly before summoning up her courage. "... For sure, next year,"  
she told herself as she turned and entered the large building._

* * *

-**Sixth Show**-  
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Turtle?

* * *

The girls had gathered at the back table of a restaurant to discuss strategy. Being poor, Motoko  
and Su both ordered just water. The others, not being rich themselves, ordered modest meals that  
they offered to share with the two other girls, but their pride wouldn't let them accept. 

Naru swallowed a bite as she asked, "So, now what? Do you think we have enough people, or...?"

Mitsune shrugged. "It's hard to tell. We'll just have to go with what feels right. Right now  
we've got five people... that might be enough, or it might not."

"Five people is usually large enough for most bands," Motoko said. "But we're our band, not most  
bands."

The lights dimmed suddenly, catching their attention. "Looks like someone's playing tonight,"  
Shinobu said. "I wonder who it's going to be?"

As if on cue a girl with long, braided hair stepped out onto the stage, hauling a guitar with  
her. She walked slowly but fully upright with a vaguely pleased smile on her face. She bowed to  
the audience before sitting on a small stool that had been placed at the center of the stage.

Mitsune scratched her chin in thought. "Looks like Mutsumi Otohime. She's a college-age amateur  
of no real note. She plays pretty infrequently, but word is that you don't miss much."

Kaolla gave her a sideways look. "You really do know everyone in the Hinata Hot Springs Town  
music scene. Don't you have anything better to do with your life than catalogue has-beens and  
never-gonna-bes?"

Mitsune simply smirked. "You're going to have to do better than that. I don't lose my temper  
easily like that hot-blooded idol over there."

Mutsumi began to play, singing a slow ballad as she strummed along with her guiter. Su scrunched  
up her face, her opinion already formed after only a moment. "Ugh, she's terrible..."

"Hey!" Naru admonished. "That's not nice! It's true that she's not at our level, but that  
doesn't make her terrible!"

Mitsune said, "Not being terrible isn't enough. Her voice isn't bad at all, but her guitar  
skills are- Hmm?" She was about to take a sip from her drink when something about the girl on  
stage caught her eye. That girl... her fingers seemed to be right on the mark, but every so  
often there would be a tiny delay in the music as her fingers drifted and hit the note slightly  
off. Almost as if she was deliberately...

"Is something the matter?" Motoko asked her. "What were you going to say?"

Mitsune stared at the guitar player for a moment longer before shaking her head. "No, it's  
nothing. As I was saying, her guitar skills are nothing to write home about."

"Anyway!" Shinobu said. "Maybe if we all play together once, we'll see if we're missing  
something?"

Su thought about that for a minute. "Hmmm... that's not a shabby idea, pipsqueak. You can take  
the world's best ingredients, but if they don't mix well then whatever you make with them will be  
trash."

"So let's see what kind of dish we can make!" Naru said with her trademark guts.

* * *

The next afternoon, Hinata Inn was filled with the din of five musicians playing together for the  
first time in the main lobby. In the kitchen Grandma Hina calmly sipped tea despite the  
ambience. She looked up at the roof as she sighed. "Not going to get any business like this..." 

As the girl's finished up, Naru sighed deeply. "This is no good, huh...?"

Su spoke up, "Hey Motoko, this isn't a rock concert. If you keep hitting with that much force  
you're going to drown everyone else out."

"I have to use this much force to hit it properly," Motoko retorted. "A half-hearted beat is  
worse than none at all. And what are you doing with those synthesizers? Shinobu-chan's playing  
hardly even sounds like music! Erm, no offense."

Shinobu crossed her arms and pouted. "It's hard to not take a comment like that personally..."

Naru turned around and shouted, "Please, stop arguing! I told you, this song wasn't anywhere  
near finished yet!"

Mitsune said, "We're not going to be perfect our first time, and what we've got is a pretty good  
start. It's true that we lack coordination, but that will come with time and practice. Even  
considering that, though... there's something missing."

Naru exhaled deeply, looking downcast. "Yeah, you're right. It's like... we're all doing well,  
but we're all doing our own thing. We need something that can tie our individual sounds together  
into one song."

"That's a fatal flaw," Mitsune agreed. "Looks like we need at least one more person to round us  
out. The problem is, we've already got a pretty diverse group... if we get much bigger, there's  
bound to be a serious clash sooner or later. Too many cooks, and all that."

Su spoke up, "Speaking of food... Naru, did you pick up tonight's dinner this morning like the  
old woman asked you to?" Naru's guilty shriek gave her all the response she needed, and Su  
sighed. "I don't believe it... so there's STILL no food in this joint?"

Naru bowed her head low, pleading, "I'm really sorry! I was so psyched up for this practice  
session, and it slipped my mind!"

Shinobu perked up, "Well, why don't we just eat out like we did last night? It would be a good  
chance to talk about what we need to do next, right?"

Motoko held her forehead in her hands. "Shinobu-chan, that's no good. We can't be eating out  
every night, especially since me and Su can't afford it."

Mitsune raised a finger, trying to draw attention to herself. "Actually, there is this tiny  
sandwich shop I know of that's nearby. It's really cheap, so even the less reputable members of  
the band can eat there."

Naru grimaced. "Just sandwiches for dinner...?"

"You don't have the right to complain," Mitsune said as she elbowed her lightly in the side.  
"It's your fault we're in this mess in the first place, right?" That caused Naru to fall silent,  
although she was still less than enthused. "Don't worry, the bread's baked fresh and it all  
tastes great. I'm sure your overly-cultured taste buds will be satisfied."

* * *

As Mitsune claimed, the sandwich shop was quite small... there was currently only one employee  
working, a brown-haired girl that looked about college-age. She looked up from her work  
in the kitchen as the group entered, greeting them with a genuine but faint "Welcome!" 

"Yo!" Mitsune greeted back, looking around. "I didn't know this place was making enough money to  
hire help. Where's the boss?"

The girl explained, "He's at the bank, depositing this month's payment for the rent... he asked  
me to watch the shop while he was gone. I'm just temporary... I don't actually work here. Oh,  
but don't let that scare you away, I'm a pretty good chef if I say so myself! I'll be with you  
just as I put this loaf in the oven..."

Shinobu continued to stare intently at Mutsumi as the young woman kneaded the bread. The taller  
girl hummed a little tune as she worked, seemingly oblivious to everything around her. After a  
moment she stuffed the dough into a pan and slipped it into the oven, nodding to herself in  
satisfaction.

Naru cocked her head to the side as the girl approached them. "Hey... haven't we met someplace  
before?"

The girl on the other side of the counter stopped and looked over at her. "Hmmm... now that you  
mention it..."

Mitsune snapped her fingers as she realized, "Hey, you're the girl from last night... Mutsumi  
Otohime, right?"

"Oh?" the girl blinked. "You mean you were there at the restaurant last night? Ah, I  
apologize! I know I'm not very good... I only play as a hobby, and I don't have much talent. I  
only played there because I owed the owner a favor..."

Su managed to scoff, "That much was obvious..." before Motoko clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Please, pay it no mind," Motoko covered as she shot a withering glance at Su. "It was an...  
adequate performance."

Mutsumi gave them a weak smile as she looked away. "Yes, well... it looks like I can't make a  
career out of it. It's just as well, I guess... but let's not talk about that, and instead get  
you all served! If you're willing to wait I can make anything you want, super-fresh! Um, how  
about you first, little girl?"

Shinobu did not immediately respond. Only after Mitsune elbowed her did she realize Mutsumi was  
speaking to her. She looked up, crying out in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry! I was just thinking,  
and, well..." After a moment she looked at Mutsumi seriously, taking several deep breaths to  
form the proper words. Finally, she squeezed out, "What I really want to ask is... why did you  
intentionally play so badly the other night?"

Mutsumi gasped slightly. "What... do you mean?"

Shinobu explained, "My parents used to run a restaurant, so I know a lot about cooking and  
things. Kneading bread properly requires a lot of dexterity in the fingers. Someone who can do  
that like you, Mutsumi-san, should have no trouble playing a guitar. But last night..."

"I thought something seemed off," Mitsune chimed in. "You had a lot of genuine confidence up on  
stage for someone who was so mediocre. I caught your fingers wavering a bit up there... I  
thought that was kind of strange. Your fingers instinctually went to all the right places, so  
you had to stop in order to hit the wrong notes. You really were mucking up your own performance  
on purpose, weren't you?"

Mutsumi smiled weakly as she put a hand to her head. "Arara... I've been found out..."

* * *

Since they were the only customers, it wasn't hard to convince Mutsumi to take a break for a  
quick interview. Mitsune thought that if Mutsumi was hiding her talent, then what they saw at  
the club the previous night was not indicative of her ability. She may be a worthy addition to  
the band after all! Mitsune sat with Mutsumi at a small table, with everyone else gathered  
around. Naru was quiet for once, staying some distance from the group with crossed arms. 

Mitsune opened, "So, tell us a little about yourself."

Mutsumi nodded. "Alright. Um... my name is Mutsumi Otohime. I'm 21 years old, and a native of  
Okinawa. I go to college not far from here, pursuing an education degree."

"A degree, huh? What college do you go to?"

Mutsumi said casually, "Tokyo University."

Jaws all across the room dropped. "Seriously?"

Mutsumi blinked in response. "Is that good?"

"Good?" Motoko repeated. "It's only the most prestigious school in the country. Someone like me  
could study for years and still never make it in."

The other girls around the table nodded. "I could probably get in," Su bragged. "But without a  
valid visa, I can't even sign up to take the test."

"Moving on," Mitsune signaled with a cough. "How long have you been playing the guitar?"

Mutsumi thought for a moment. "Probably... ten years now. I used to be really sick, and my  
mother thought a hobby would help me cheer up a little. She meant well, but the guitar was a  
little too much. I almost died a few times, but lugging that heavy thing around really did  
wonders for my health!"

Shinobu looked pale. "D... Died?"

Su rolled her eyes. "Who dies just from hauling a guitar? She's pulling your leg."

Mitsune nodded. "Now then, here's what we're all wondering... if you're so good, why did you  
intentionally play badly the other night?"

Mutsumi shrugged, "Well, you know... Stakes get beaten if they stick out, after all!"

Su gave her an exasperated look. "That's not how the proverb is used..."

Mitsune stared in horror. "And you didn't quote it properly, either... are you SURE you go to  
Tokyo U?"

Mutsumi blinked. "Oh? So... no good?"

Mitsune shook her head and tossed the pad of paper to the side. "Well, that concludes the  
interview, I guess. Personally, I think you'd be a great choice to round out the band. If no  
one has any objections-"

"I have an objection."

Everyone's head turned slowly turned Naru. This was the first time she had said something in  
some time, so it came as a bit of a shock. Shinobu blinked, sure she hadn't just heard right.  
"Naru-san...?"

"I'm completely against this," Naru repeated, shaking her head. "I don't want her in the band."

"What are you talking about?" Mitsune piped up. "She's at least as talented as anyone else  
here."

"That is true," Naru admitted. "But she's still no good. No matter how much talent she has, a  
musician with no heart is useless."

Shinobu blinked. "Heart?"

Su groaned internally. "Oh man, here she goes again..."

Naru ignored her, explaining, "She has no passion or love for music... it's just a hobby for her.  
She doesn't need or want to be a great musician. The worst part, though, is that attitude of  
hers. Instead of giving the audience a good performance and making them happy, she hides her  
talent and is half-hearted in her music. She just wastes their time. She doesn't have any  
respect for her audience... I don't want to be in a band with someone like that, regardless of  
how talented they are."

Shinobu gasped. "Naru-sempai..."

"You heard me," Naru repeated. "I don't have any use for someone who plans to just coast  
through the rest of their life with no dreams and no ambition. I-"

Mutsumi stood up from the table forcefully at that, slamming her hands on the table to interrupt  
Naru. "Please don't talk like you know all about me," she said crossly. "I have dreams. Just  
because they aren't your dreams doesn't make them any less important."

Naru was a bit taken aback by the suddenness of Mutsumi's retort. She regained her composure as  
she responded, "That doesn't change the fact that your attitude towards music sucks. You'll drag  
the rest of us down if we let you in the band. My answer is still no."

Mutsumi took a deep breath to collect her thoughts. "Then, Naru-san... how about you let me join  
on a probationary basis? If you think I'm dragging you down or not taking the band seriously,  
you can throw me out and I won't complain. All I ask is a chance."

Naru raised an eyebrow. "Is this the kind of problem-solving they teach you at college?"

"So what will be good enough for you?"

Mitsune put an arm between them. "Now, now, Naru, let's not be tough... if you think she's  
slacking off, we can give her the boot. It couldn't hurt, right?"

Naru stared at her for a moment before sighing. "... Do whatever you want." She then stormed  
out of the bakery, tossing her jacket over her shoulder. The bell rang as the door slammed shut  
behind her, and for a while there were no other sounds in the bakery.

Su coughed to break the silence. "Otohime, I can't help but think Naru might have a point.  
Why were you trying to hide your talent? And I want the real reason, not some mucked-up proverb.  
More importantly, what makes this band different then playing at a club? What proof do we have  
that you'll actually try?"

Mutsumi took a deep breath, a sad look crossing her face. "... I've heard stories of people who  
dropped out of college to pursue a music career. Someone once mentioned that I was good enough  
to do that sort of thing... and it scared me. I have to be at college. At least until..."

Shinobu leaned forward. "Until... what?"

Mutsumi blinked, her smile returning. "Ara? Oh, nothing! But make no mistake, I'll do my best!  
You guys... just feel different. You have a nice mood around you... it's something I think I'd  
like to be a part of. Plus, you're based right around the area I live, so I won't have to up and  
leave college. I'm in my third year now, and... um, it would be a waste to drop out now, right?"

Mitsune scratched her head, looking at the other band members for some sign of support. No help  
there... they were all waiting to see what Mitsune would say. She and Naru did share control of  
the band, being the first members and all. She finally sighed, and motioned Mutsumi to come  
closer. The brown-haired girl complied, stepping up to the rest of the group. "... You'll get  
one shot," Mitsune said. "I want you to come by the Hinata Inn tomorrow afternoon, and bring  
your guitar. If you can impress our lead singer... that's the girl that stormed out... then  
you're in. Understand?"

Mutsumi nodded slightly. "Perfectly, Mitsune-san. Don't worry, I won't mess up on purpose this  
time."

Su piped up, "You better not mess up on accident, either. That girl may be a bit naive, but she's  
deadly serious about her music. That much I've already figured out."

Shinobu nodded. "I don't think you're a bad person, Mutsumi-san... I wouldn't mind being in a  
band with you. But if you can't play well on command then Naru-san is never going to accept you."

Mitsune tapped a finger against her chin. "I think you'd better seriously consider why you're  
joining this band. If you're not completely serious, that girl will pick up on it in a second...  
and if that happens, you're sunk. Don't misunderstand, it's not like you'd be a bad addition...  
but if it's just going to cause problems, I think it's best if we went our separate ways. Only  
show up tomorrow if you're willing to try that hard. ... We'd better be on our way. It will be  
dark soon, and we have to get Shinobu-chan home. It was good meeting you, Mutsumi-san." With  
that the silver-haired girl stood and left, and the others followed at their own pace. Shinobu  
looked back at Mutsumi as she left, and stared after her even through the windows as they went on  
their way.

Mutsumi exhaled sharply as she was left alone. Why was she acting like this? She had always  
wanted to be in a band, but she had always pushed that desire down. She didn't have time to  
think about being in a band... she always had to study, so she could make it into Tokyo U. But  
why? Now that she was there, there did not seem to be much of a point anymore. She only had  
about a year and a half until she graduated. She should have been happy about that... instead it  
terrified her.

"Maybe if I do well and they become famous... everyone will hear about it and..." She stopped,  
not quite sure how to finish her selfish thought. Mutsumi looked out the window, toward the  
moon. It was not fair of her to use them like this, she knew. But there was only a little bit  
of time left, and she was starting to have doubts. Maybe... maybe her story would not have a  
happy ending after all. If that was how it was going to be, she would not vanish meekly into the  
background. She had to know what went wrong along the way. She had to know why she was now  
alone...

She smiled as she removed all doubts from her mind. "One way or another... I'll see him again.  
Of this I'm certain..."

* * *

The next afternoon Mutsumi Otohime appeared at the front door of Hinata Inn with a guitar case  
slung over her back. "Good afternoon!" she greeted everyone. "I'm so glad you all waited for  
me!" 

"We weren't waiting for you," Su corrected. "We were fine-tuning our equipment. We're going to  
play alongside you, or so says Madame Blues."

Mitsune gave the young girl a sour look. "Think of a better nickname for me, alright? Anyway, I  
had a thought like this... I think if we all play together, we have a better chance of impressing  
Naru."

"So it's all of you ganging up on just me?" came a voice from upstairs. Naru was standing on the  
upper balcony, looking at the gathered group with distaste. "Fine... let's hear what you can do,  
Mutsumi-san. You guys had better not be planning on covering her weak points with your own  
instruments, because I'm telling you right now it won't work."

Mitsune smiled knowingly as she responded, "Nothing like that, Naru... if my hunch is right, I  
think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Can you play the notes on that sheet, Mutsumi?"

Mutsumi glanced over the sheet music briefly, nodding. "Yes... it does not look too complicated.  
I can start whenever you want me to."

"Alright," Naru said as she walked slowly down the stairs. "Mitsune's filled me in on the  
condition, so we all know what's at stake here. Show me what you're really capable of, Mutsumi  
Otohime-san."

Motoko took that as her cue and tapped her drumsticks together to set the beat. After three taps  
Mutsumi began, plucking the strings of the guitar to begin a soothing tune. Naru could feel her  
heart becoming lighter just with the first few notes, but continued to frown. She still could  
not understand... If she was able to play like this, then why...?

That's when everyone else slowly joined in. First Motoko's drums accentuated the beat, then  
Shinobu provided a simple base melody as Mitsune's saxophone harmonized with Mutsumi's guitar.  
The song was the same one they had tried to play the other day, but...

Naru was instantly stunned. 'This... is completely different from how they were yesterday. This  
isn't the racket of five people playing together for the first time, it sounds like a group  
that's been practicing for months! What's going on?'

'As I thought,' Mitsune congratulated herself. 'As a band, we lacked a strong central  
instrument  
to base ourselves on. But with Mutsumi's guitar here, we can focus on playing  
our own style... she provides the rhythm that ties us together into one song. Mutsumi is what  
this band has been missing... even Naru can't deny that.'

Naru caught herself staring wide-eyed at the group, becoming totally immersed in the sound. She  
of course knew that each and every person here was talented beyond their years, but at that  
moment they all flowed together into one sinuous whole. They had ceased to become players...  
and became a band. Was it all because of her? Was there something about the guitar  
that allowed it to bind everything else together?

Naru's head sank and she closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her. There was no denying  
it... she did not want to admit she was wrong, but she also couldn't hurt the band by letting  
this one get away.

As the song came to a close, only one though occupied Naru's mind: '... I lose.'

"So what do you think now, Naru-san?"

Naru continued to keep her eyes closed, pausing before letting out a sigh. She walked straight  
up to Mutsumi, looking serious. "Listen up, you... You'd better prepare yourself, because we're  
going to work you into the ground. If you think you can get away with weak-willed music then  
you're going to get hurt. But... if you play like that all the time, I don't think we'll have  
any problems. Welcome to the band, Mutsumi-san."

Mutsumi smiled back vacantly as she replied, "Of course, Naru-san. Whatever you want."

Naru's eyebrow twitched. She wasn't really listening, was she? "I still have a bad feeling  
about this..."

Mitsune patted Naru on the back, grinning widely. "Aw, don't be such a sore loser Naru. I think  
we've finally finished making this band... and in only a week, too!"

Naru blinked. Something about that... "A week...?"

"Is something the matter, Naru-san?" asked Shinobu. "You look concerned."

Naru blinked herself back to reality, shaking her head. "No, it's nothing. I just... thought I  
forgot something for a moment. It's probably not important..."

**_Guitar - Mutsumi Otohime_**

* * *

It was a gigantic stage, polished to a sparkle and illuminated by over seventy lights of varying  
shapes and sizes. The domed ceiling stretched far overhead, with speakers strategically arranged  
so that even those in the far back could hear perfectly. The seating here was capable of serving  
over a thousand spectators, far more if one included the mezzanines. Kentaro did not appreciate  
the grandosity of his surroundings. Instead, he found the emptiness depressing, even  
infuriating. 

Each and every one of these seats were empty, and they would remain so.

"Sakata-san," one of his assistants said cautiously. "The crowds have alreay been alerted that  
there will be no show tonight. Naru-san's concert has been... cancelled."

Kentaro frowned, nodding slowly. "... Understood. Now get back on the trail. See if that  
'Tohru Honda' rumor has any truth to it." The assistant saluted him before quickly scurrying  
away. He knew how rotten Kentaro's mood could become.

He stamped on the stage in a moment of rage, taking care to slick his hair back afterwards. "And  
now, Naru, you have cost our company several million yen in one fell swoop. Enough... is  
enough."

* * *

_Next time: Music Culture Clash_

* * *


End file.
